Hey everyone, welcome to Mythology Explained. In today’s video, we’re going to discuss Hermes,
one of the 12 Olympians and the messenger of the gods.
Let’s get into it.
Known as Mercury to the Romans, Hermes was the messenger god, and in this capacity he functioned
as a sort of intermediary between heaven and the earth, relaying communications between the two.
His sphere of influence encompassed many facets of ancient Greek life. He was the patron of herdsmen,
offering them his protection and ensuring the safety and fertility of their flocks,
and as Psychopompus (“Leader of Souls”), he himself functioned as a sort of shepherd,
his flock the countless souls of the dead he guided to the underworld.
Thieves, merchants, travelers, and heralds were also favoured by him. As the god of boundaries,
Herms, which were pillars capped with his bust, were used to demarcate roads, city limits,
private property, and were commonly placed by people at the entrances of their houses.
Fathered by Zeus, Hermes was born in a cave, and his godly abilities were apparent from his first
day. He climbed from his cradle, ventured out of the cave that sheltered him, and found a turtle,
which he killed, hollowed, and, using the shell, created the first lyre, which he was prodigiously
talented at playing from the instrument’s inception. This would prove but the first in
the series of marvels he would accomplish on his first day. Hermes stole five head of cattle from
his half-brother Apollo, then drove them forth in unconventional step, sideways and backwards,
so that they could not easily be tracked. He drove them a great distance, fashioning the very first
pair of sandals along the way to protect his feet; his early innovations even included the discovery
of how to make fire. Later, Hermes was obliged to return the cattle. Apollo made Hermes the guardian
of his flocks, and Hermes gifted his lyre, which would become Apollo’s instrument of choice.
Hermes was betokened by his staff, the broad-brimmed hat favoured by travellers, and
his winged sandals, this last endowing swiftness, an augmentation that would be indispensable
on countless occasions as he raced across the land bearing the god’s tidings.
As the messenger of the gods and, in particular, as an instrument of Zeus,
Hermes made appearances in many myths, bringing information and offering succor.
When the goddess Themis was wed to the hero Peleus, all the gods were invited except for Eris,
the goddess of strife, who exacted her petty revenge by lobbing a golden apple inscribed with
the words “for the fairest” into the throng. Three goddesses, Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite,
all laid claim to the apple, each goddess declaring herself to be the most beautiful. After
Zeus wisely recused himself, deducing that his arbitration in this matter would inevitably invite
ill will from the two goddesses not chosen, It was Hermes who led the goddesses to Paris, a prince
of Troy, who would sit in judgement, deciding which goddess was truly deserving of the gift.
Another occasion that saw Hermes deliver Zeus from a quandary was his rescue of Io, whom Zeus
had transformed into a cow in a vain effort to hide his infidelity from Hera, who knew full
well what was afoot and decided to ask for the cow - really Io - as a gift so as to torment Zeus by
twisting the knife of guilt in his side. After an unspecified amount of time had elapsed - a stretch
of time that must have been interminable for Io - Zeus could no longer bear to see his former
lover imprisoned in a cow's body, forced to eat grass and drink from streams. But extricating
Io from her plight would require some divine intervention, for she was incessantly guarded
by the ever-vigilant 100-eyed giant Argus. Zeus dispatched Hermes, who slayed the giant, freeing
Io from her jailor - although it still would be some time before her human body was restored.
In addition to bailing out his dad from presiding over beauty contests and rescuing
the women with which his dad defiled the sanctity of his marriage, Hermes also showed
up to help many of the most famous heroes in Greek mythology on numerous occasions.
He traveled to the island where Odysseus was held prisoner and convinced Calypso to let the hero go.
Hermes then gave Odysseus the herb that made him impervious to the sorcery of the goddess Circe.
Along with Athena, he guided Perseus through his quest to kill Medusa, and this divine
duo reunited to guide Hercules through the underworld in order to complete his 12th labour.
And that’s it for this video! If you enjoy the content please LIKE the video
and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. As always, leave your video suggestions down below