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HERMES GOD ΕΡΜΗΣ

GENERAL INFO

I) What was Hermes the god of?

II) What were his symbols, attributes,
sacred plants and animals?

III) Who were the family & attendants of Hermes?

IV) Where and how was he worshipped?

V) What were some of the popular myths about Hermes?

PICTURES

I) Depictions of Hermes in Greek Vase Painting

These images of Hermes come from Ancient Greek Vases, painted approximately
2,500 years ago. NB Click on thumbnails to view full-size images.

II) Other Classical Depictions of Hermes

Hermes was also depicted in classical statues, "hermae", stone reliefs, frescoes and coins.

SELECTED MYTHS (short versions)

I) Baby Hermes & the Theft of Apollon's cattle

"Maia, after her intercourse with Zeus, bore Hermes in a cave on Kyllene. Though he was laid out in swaddling-clothes with her winnowing-basket for a cradle, he escaped and made his way to Pieria, where he stole some cattle that Apollon was tending. To keep from being discovered by the tracks, he put boots on their feet and led them to Pylos. He hid them in a grotto, except for two which he sacrificed, pinning up their hides on rocks, boiling some of the meat for his meal and burning the rest. Outside the cave he found a tortoise feeding. He cleaned it out, and stretched across the shell strings made from the cattle he had sacrificed, and when he had thus devised a lyre he also invented a plectrum. Meanwhile Apollon reached Pylos in his search for the cattle, and asked the locals about them. They told him that they had indeed seen a boy driving some cattle, but they could not say where they had been driven because there were no tracks to be found. So Apollon learned who the thief was by divine science, and made his way to Maia on Kyllene to charge Hermes. Maia, however, showed Apollon the baby in his swaddling-clothes, whereupon Apollon took him to Zeus and demanded his cattle. When Zeus told Hermes to return them, he denied everything, but since his father would not believe him, he led Apollon to Pylos and gave him back his cattle. Then, when Apollon heard the lyre, he exchanged the cattle for that. And as Hermes was tending the cattle, this time he fashioned a shepherd’s pipe which he proceeded to play. Covetous also of this, Apollon offered him the golden staff which he held when he herded cattle. But Hermes wanted both the staff and proficiency in the art of prophecy in return for the pipe. So he was taught how to prophesy by means of pebbles, and gave Apollon the pipe. And Zeus made Hermes his personal herald and messenger of the gods beneath the earth." Source: Apollodorus , The Library 3.112-115

II) Hermes & the tell-tale Battos

"[Hermes stole the cattle of Apollon and brought them] past Mainalos [in Arkadia] and what are called the watch-posts of Battos. Now this Battos used to live on the top of the rock and when he heard the voice of the heifers as they were being driven past, he came out from his own place, and knew that the cattle were stolen. So he asked for a reward to tell no one about them. Hermes promised to give it him on these terms, and Battos swore to say nothing to anyone about the cattle. But when Hermes had hidden them in the cliff by Koryphasion, and had driven them into a cave facing towards Italia and Sikelia, he changed himself and came again to Battos and tried whether he would be true to him as he had vowed. So, offering him a robe as a reward, he asked of him whether he had noticed stolen cattle being driven past. And Battos took the robe and told him about the cattle. But Hermes was angry because he was double-tongued, and struck him with his staff and changed him into a rock. And either frost or heat never leaves him." Source: Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses 23

III) Hermes & the hundred-eyed giant Argos-Panoptes

"Zeus seduced Io while she was a priestess of Hera. When Hera discovered them, Zeus touched the girl, changed her into a white cow, and swore that he hand not had sex with her ... Hera demanded the cow from Zeus, and assigned Argos Panoptes as its guard ...Argos tied the cow to an olive tree in the grove of the Mykenaians. Zeus instructed Hermes to steal her, and Hermes, unable to sneak her out because Hierax had told on him, killed Argos with a stone. From this came Hermes’ surname Argeiphontes." Source: Apollodorus, The Library 2.4

IV) Hermes & the lazy Nymphe Khelone

"For his wedding with Juno [Hera], Jupiter [Zeus] ordered Mercurius [Hermes] to invite all the gods, the men and the animals to the wedding. Everyone invited by Mercurius [Hermes] came, except for Chelone who did not deign to be there, mocking the wedding. When Mercurius noticed her absence, he went back down to the earth, threw in the river the house of Chelone that was standing over the river and changed Chelone in an animal that would bear her name [chelone is Greek for tortoise]." Source: Servius, On Virgil's Aeneid 1.505

V) Hermes, Odysseus & the witch Kirke

"I [Odysseus] left the ship and shore and took the path upward; but as I traversed those haunted glades, as I came close to Kirke’s house and neared the palace of the enchantress, I was met by golden-wanded Hermes; he seemed a youth in the lovely spring of life, with the first down upon his lip. He seized my hand and spoke thus to me: ‘Luckless man, why are you walking thus alone over these hills, in country you do not know? Your comrades are yonder in Kirke’s grounds; they are turned to swine, lodged and safely penned in the sites. Is your errand her to rescue them? I warn you, you will never return yourself, you will only be left with the others there. Yet no - I am ready to save you from all hazards, ready to keep you unscathed. Look. Here is a herb of magic virtue; take it and enter Kirke’s house with it; then the day of evil never will touch your head. I will tell you of all her witch’s arts. She will brew a potion for you, but with good things she will mingle drugs as well. Yet even so, she will not be able to enchant you; my gift of the magic herb will thwart her. I will tell you the rest, point by point. When Kirke strikes you with the long wand she has, draw the keen sword from beside your thigh, rush upon her and make as if to kill her. She will shrink, back, and then ask you to lie with her. At this you must let her have her way; she is a goddess; accept her bed, so that she may release your comrades and make you her cherished guest. But first, make her swear the great oath of the Blessed Ones [by the river Styx] to plot no mischief to you thenceforward - if not, while you lie naked there, she may rob you of courage and of manhood.’
So spoke the Radiant One; then gave the magic herb, pulling it from the ground and showing me in what form it grew; its root was black, its flower milk-white. Its name among the gods is moly. For mortal men it is perilous to pluck it up, but for the gods all things are possible.
Then Hermes departed over the wooded island went his way to the mountain of Olympos." Source: Homer, Odyssey 10.135

FURTHER INFO (12 detailed pages on Hermes)

PART 1: INDEX & ILLUSTRATIONS
Index of Hermes pages
Illustrations from Greek Vase Paintings
Quotes - Descriptions, Hymns

PART 2: HERMES GOD OF
Quotes - describing his various divine functions

PART 3A: MYTHS GENERAL 1
Quotes - general stories about Hermes

PART 3B: MYTHS GENERAL 2
Quotes - general stories about Hermes continued

PART 3C: MYTHS GENERAL 3
Quotes - stories about Hermes as minister and herald of Zeus

PART 4: MYTHS WRATH
List of those Punished
Quotes - stories of those punished by the god

PART 5: MYTHS FAVOUR
List of those Favoured
Quotes - stories of heroes blessed or assisted by the god

PART 6A: MYTHS LOVES
List of Lovers
Quotes - stories of the women loved by Hermes

PART 6B: MYTHS CHILDREN
List of Children
Quotes - children of Hermes

PART 7: ESTATE & ATTENDANTS
Lists of divine Possessions and Attendants
Quotes - items owned by the god; sacred plants and animals
Quotes - attendants of the god

PART 8: CULT OF HERMES
Quotes - cult of the god organised by region

PART 9: TITLES & EPITHETS
List of Cult Titles and Poetic Epithets

PAGE BORDER: Derived from on an ancient Greek vase painting