![]() These included dolios (“tricky”), angelos and diactoros (“messenger”), eriounios (either “swift” or “beneficial”-the meaning is uncertain), and chrysorrhapis (“he of the golden wand”).įinally, Hermes boasted numerous religious and cult epithets that described his many functions as a god. Other epithets described important attributes of Hermes. Other important epithets related to Hermes’ mythology included Atlantiadēs, meaning “descendant of Atlas” (Hermes’ mother, Maia, was the daughter of the Titan Atlas), and Cyllēnios, meaning “Cyllenian” or “of Mount Cyllene” (Mount Cyllene was an important cult center of Hermes, sometimes said to have been his birthplace). Hermes’ most common literary epithet was Argeiphontēs, meaning “killer of Argus.” This related to the famous myth in which Hermes outsmarted and killed the hundred-eyed guardsman Argus (see below). Hermes’ Roman counterpart was called Mercury. But it is not clear where the word herma comes from or how exactly it is linguistically related to the name “Hermes.” Scholars today generally agree that Hermes’ name is pre-Greek in origin. Indeed, many of these “herms” were dedicated to Hermes. Hermes’ name may have been related to the ancient Greek herma, a cairn or heap of stones used to indicate the boundaries of something. It was first written as e-ma-ha in the syllabic Linear B script used before the invention of the Greek alphabet. The name “Hermes” seems to have originated in the Mycenaean period, the earliest period of Greek history (ca. For the ancient Greeks who worshipped him, Hermes often represented the disorder and moral relativism they saw in the world. In addition to oscillating between good and evil, Hermes also moved freely between Olympus, the mortal world, and the Underworld. He was neither good nor evil, although he was capable of both he instead chose to operate at the periphery of things, tilting chaotically in one direction or the other according to his whims (hence his role as the patron of both thieves and merchants). Like other trickster gods, Hermes tested norms, challenged conventions, and crossed boundaries. Driven by impish designs and a fondness for sport, he routinely tricked, deceived, and-in several well-known instances-stole from the gods. Hermes could also be unpredictable, however. God of commerce and luck, patron of travelers, thieves, and merchants, and champion of athletes and athletic competitions, Hermes was a wily trickster who often put his own amusement above the interests of the gods.Īs herald and messenger of the gods, Hermes delivered the news, advice, and commands that maintained order and sustained the gods’ fragile, tumultuous relationships. He was a trickster god who prized cleverness and amusement above all else, and was willing to toy with mortals and immortals alike.
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