(g.) Hermes, from Herma "stone heap", original I.E. apotropeic trail markers
(l.) Mercury
Hermes Psychopompus ("soul guide") conveys souls on their final journey to Hades.
Hermes Argeiphontes ("slayer of Argus")
Domain: Arcadia, mainly the Peloponnesus,
Genealogy: Zeus + Maia, pleiade (daughter of Atlas + Pleione)
Claim to Fame: God of mischief, thieves, merchants, night time travellers, heralds and messengers.
Trickster god, resourceful rascal. Inventor of the lyre. Deliverer of Dionysus.
Iconography: Petasus ("travellers hat"), Talaria ("[winged] sandals"), Caduceus ("[snaky] staff"")
Literature: Homeric Hymn to Hermes, Homer's Odyssey, Homer's Iliad, Ovid's Metamorphosis,
Aechyslus' Prometheus Bound
Myth
I. Theft of Apollo's Cattle - Hermes steals 50 head of Apollo's finest cattle by reversing their tracks in the sand, but he is tracked down by the testimony of the only witness, an old man. Hermes takes refuge in the cave of Zeus and Maia and pretends to be an innocent babe, denying all knowledge of the theft and preventing Apollo from "god-handling" him by letting go an omen ("burp/fart").Apollo demands justice from Zeus, while Hermes lies charmingly, offering an exchange for a new instrument he invented: the lyre. Not only is her absolved from his crime of theft he is given the responsibility of guide to the gods (perhaps to keep him busy and out of trouble?)
II. Hermaphroditus - Hermes and Aphrodite have a son who has the misfortune of being lusted after by Salmacis, a naiad ("water nymph"). While he is bathing in her spring unaware, she pounces and clings to his back, praying to the gods they'll never be seperated. The gods answer her prayers and the first hermaphrodite is created. The pool itself becomes fabled for its emasculation of all male bathers.
III. Slayer of Argus - Io is lusted after by Zeus, but a scornful Hera transformed her into a heifer and set Argus ("one hundred eyes") to watch her. Zeus sends Hermes, who lulls Argus to sleep before killing him, and Io is set free. Hera takes the eyes of Argus and puts them on her favourite bird, the peacock, and sends a Gadfly to plague Io so she must wander the earth in search of relief.
