Hermes — Ancient Greek God

Hermes, Messenger of the Gods
Roman name: Mercury
Hermes was Zeus' youngest son. Hermes' mother was Maia. Hermes was one of the 12 Olympians, the gods who ruled the magical world.
Zeus liked having his son Hermes around, even as a baby. Hermes was always full of fun. He was very bright. He had great ideas. He was a natural athlete. He had a mischievous grin. He seemed to be able to talk others into just about anything.

Both gods and humans liked and trusted Hermes. Their trust was well placed. Hermes could keep a secret. Zeus decided to make him the messenger and the deal maker of the gods. That would put Hermes in the midst of things all the time, and it would make sure that Hermes was important.

Between fixing problems and carrying messages, Hermes was part of many a myth. He knew just about everything going on in the mythical world. But he never told what he knew to hurt anyone. Hermes had a true warmth. He wanted to solve things in a way that would work out best for everyone. The gods trusted him. He could never have fixed all the problems he fixed without trust. As he grew older, he became better and better at what he did until he was the best deal maker in the world.

Hermes' Name
Most scholars think that Hermes’ name derives from the Greek word herma, which means “a heap of stones” or “cairn.” Cairns were a common sight in the Ancient world, serving as trail- or boundary-markers.

Hermes was the only Olympian capable of crossing the boundary between the living and the dead and carrying the souls of the dead in Hades. In time, he came to be known as “the conductor” or “the leader of souls.”

Hermes, a Precocious Child
Hermes was the son of Zeus and Maia, the oldest of the seven Pleiades. He was born in a cave in Mount Cyllene in Arcadia at dawn. By noon he was able to invent the lyre and play a hymn celebrating his own birth on it. That very same evening, for reasons unknown, he stole the cattle of Apollo. Afterward, he came back and innocently tucked himself up in his cradle.

Hermes, a Darling of the Gods
By all accounts, Hermes was a darling of the gods. Artemis supposedly taught him how to hunt and Pan how to play the pipes. He was the one who guided Persephone back to her mother, Demeter.

Hermes, the Messenger
In his role as a messenger, Hermes is present in numerous other myths. He escorts Pandora to Epimetheus, leads Perseus to the Graeae, and guides Priam safely to Achilles’ tent. In addition, he showed Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera the way to Mount Ida where Paris was supposed to judge which one of them was the fairest.

Hermes’ Women and Children
Even though associated with fertility, it seems that Hermes never married, and had relatively few famous consorts and children.