Uncovering Greek Mythology: A Beginner's Guide into the World of Greek Gods and Goddesses by Lucas Russo

Author:Lucas Russo [Russo, Lucas]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-12-10T00:00:00+00:00

Hermes

The third wily son of Zeus is Hermes, the young herald, and messenger of Mount Olympus. Renowned for his cleverness and fleetness of foot, he was the ever-alert guardian and protector of the roads, merchants, and traders of the ancient Mediterranean. He also was known as a trickster, and thus became a patron deity of thieves. From him, we have the image of the winged sandals, and among his other symbols are the airy lyre, the crowing rooster, and his winged helmet, known as a Petasos. His tree is the palm, and in his representations, a goat or lamb is usually found somewhere nearby.

His iconography is one of the most interesting of all the Olympians; in early images such as gravestones and stone fragments, he is depicted as a fully grown and bearded adult, his hair curling proudly around his ears and forehead. Later, in Hellenic Greece and even into Roman times, he is shown most often as a child, closer to the Hermes we recognize; he tends to be nude save for his winged sandals, cape, and helmet, clutching his staff of two intertwined serpents.

In addition to his position as guardian of transportation and commerce, Hermes also played the part of divine guide; it was he who helped recently deceased souls into the afterlife. He has also been recognized as the mediator between the visible and invisible worlds. That is, in his role as divine messenger, it is his duty to make the will of Zeus manifest in the material world, while it is his brother Apollo who interprets it. Pieces of evidence of Hermes’ places of worship are scant in the ancient world, although there is some reason to believe that he was primarily worshipped extremely devoutly in rural areas of Greece, primarily as a guardian of flocks, shepherds, and farmers. Only three ruins of his temples remain today; all three of these ruins are within the northeastern portion Arcadia, the southern, three-fingered “hand” of mainland Greece. The lack of temples in Hermes’ honor might be because his spaces of worship were the roads of Ancient Greece itself; markers bearing Hermes’ image have been discovered all along supposed Grecian highways.

While a notorious trickster and confounder of mortals and divines alike, Hermes, according to Pausanias, was dubbed by Zeus to remain entirely amoral. Zeus, according to Homer’s hymn to Hermes, decrees that Hermes alone “should be the appointed messenger to Hades, who, though he takes no gift, shall give him no mean prize.” Interestingly, his presence in Greek households was supposed to ensure good luck, as Hermes was a “gift giver” and one who bestowed blessings. There is even evidence that in his early cultic years, he was a deity of prosperity and fertility, which we can imagine, for one as agile and swift as Hermes, is not so great a leap. As Ancient Greece became more connected beyond the family circle, who better to look after its prosperity and connections than the deity responsible for creating them?

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