Hermes
(A) Time period
(B) Literary source (C) Personality traits (D) Role or job (E) Stories |
(A) 850 B.C.
(B) Hermes is written about by Hesiod and Homer and in the Iliad and many great epics. (C) Hermes is known as being a messsenger, intelligent, crafty, sly, persuasive, hardworking, obedient and loyal to his father, brave, and an excellent strategist. (D) He is the Protector of Travelers, and the god of generic travel, roads, trade, language, and astronomy, and leads dead sould through their last journey to the underworld. (E) Probably the most famous story about Hermes is when he cleverly steals Apollo's cattle as a newborn infant! As his mother fell asleep after his birth, he toddled out of his cave and out into the pasture where Apollo was keeping his herd of wild cattle. He quietly drove them out, putting the cow's hooves on backwards as well as his own sandals, and led them far away and hid them, sacrificing two to the gods. When Apollo found out, he chased Hermes onto Olympus, demanding that Zeus make Hermes return the cows. All the gods were amused, including Zeus, but he did request that Hermes return the cattle. Hermes gave them back, Apollo was angry again at seeing two missing, and Hermes gave him the lyre that he had created himself out of a tortoise shell in trade for the cattle. He even got Apollo's magic wand, too. |