Type and attributes of the god Hermes (Mercury). Hermes is the inventor of the cithara and the god of thieves. - Hermes is the god of trade, the god of gymnasium and teacher. - God Hermes - guardian of roads, travelers and sailors. - Hermes - the god of eloquence, the messenger of the gods and the guide of souls to Hades. - Complaints of the god Hermes (Mercury).
Type and attributes of the god Hermes (Mercury)
God Hermes(in Roman mythology - god Mercury), is, according to the myths of ancient Greece, the embodiment of exchange, transfer and transition from one state or position to another.
The heavenly ambassador, the god Hermes, conveys the prayers of the people to the gods, and the blessings of the gods to the people. As the guide of souls, the god Hermes personifies the transition from life to death. The god of eloquence and contracts, Hermes (Mercury) conveys to others the thoughts of a speaker or messenger.
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Hermes is the god of gymnasiums (schools of wrestlers), because wrestling consists in the transfer of forces. Hermes is the god of thieves and trade, because an object, stolen or bought, passes from one hand to another.
On the monuments of archaic art of ancient Greece, especially on vases and vessels, the god Hermes is depicted in the prime of life, with a thick pointed beard, with long curly hair, in a low traveling hat, with winged sandals and holding in his hand caduceus, which sometimes resembles a scepter in statues.
On ancient engraved stones of a later era, the god Hermes (Mercury) is sometimes depicted with a beard, but these images are undoubtedly an imitation of ancient monuments, because in the era of the golden age of Greek art, the type of god Hermes is completely different.
The god Hermes is depicted as a tall, slender young man, always beardless, with short hair, thus representing the ideal type of young man attending wrestling schools (gymnasiums). The face of Hermes does not express the greatness of Zeus (Jupiter) or the pride of Apollo, but the face of Hermes often reflects the cunning inherent in this cunning and dexterous god.
low winged hat and caduceus- the main attributes of the god Hermes (Mercury). Even when Hermes is depicted with a bare head, Hermes has wings on his head.
Caduceus god Hermes, or rod - a stick that is wrapped around two snakes.
Sometimes Hermes has wings or winged sandals on his heels. God Hermes (Mercury) is often given other attributes, in accordance with his various duties and positions. Hermes performs the duties of a divine shepherd, and then Hermes is depicted with a ram or a goat. As the inventor of the cithara, the god Hermes is depicted accompanied by a tortoise, from which Hermes made the first cithara. The rooster is given to the god Hermes as an attribute of the god of gymnasiums (schools of wrestlers). The purse in Hermes' hand indicates that Hermes is the god of trade.
This last attribute (purse) is most often found on ancient monuments of Roman origin, since the ancient Romans god Mercury was predominantly god of trade.
Hermes - inventor of the cithara and god of thieves
Few gods are mentioned as often in ancient mythology as this god. The role of Hermes is very important, although he is considered a minor god, but in many cases Hermes, like a lackey in a comedy, turns out to be the main person who directs the course of the whole affair in ancient myths.
The god Hermes (Mercury) invented the kithara on the same day he was born. Throwing off the diapers in which his caring mother Maya wrapped him, Hermes ran out of the cave. At the entrance to the cave, the baby Hermes saw a tortoise walking slowly and importantly through the soft grass. The newborn god Hermes grabbed the tortoise, pulled the animal out of its dwelling (shell), pulled the ram's strings and covered the tortoise's hard frame with an ox skin.
This is how the world's first cithara appeared. Having finished his work, Hermes struck the strings of the cithara and was delighted with the sounds made by his new instrument. Pleased with his invention, the god Hermes immediately improvises several harmonic verses, which he immediately sings in honor of his invention.
The god Hermes (Mercury) from a very early age manifests qualities that subsequently brought him the honorary title of the god of thieves. On the very first day of his birth, Hermes steals the trident of the god (Neptune), the arrows of the god Eros (Cupid), the sword of the god (Mars), the belt of the goddess (Venus). Wanting to adequately end such a well-started day, the god Hermes goes to Pieria and steals a herd of bulls there, which belongs to.
Taking every precaution to confuse and cover his tracks, the infant Hermes leads the herd of Apollo to Pylos, sacrifices two cows to the Olympian gods, and hides the rest in a cave.
Returning to the cave on Mount Kyllene, the god Hermes lies down as if nothing had happened in his cradle and wraps himself in swaddling clothes. Mother Maya, who noticed the absence of Hermes, asks where he disappeared and what he did, and threatens Hermes that the son of Latona (Apollo) will be able to find him and expose his tricks, but Hermes boldly replies: “Mother, don’t try to intimidate me, as if I’m weak a child who has done some prank and is a coward even to the voices of his mother. But I want and will engage in such art that will glorify both you and me ”(Homer’s hymn“ To Hermes ”).
Meanwhile, the god Apollo, who has the omniscience of the prophet, will immediately find out who stole his cows. Apollo goes to the cave to Hermes. At the sight of the angry god, Hermes wraps himself even more carefully in his swaddling clothes and at first boldly denies the theft, slyly adding: “I still do not have the strength of a man capable of leading away a whole herd. And besides, this is not my trade, I have other duties, I still need mother's milk and her care for my diapers. And look, don’t tell anyone about our current quarrel, think with what distrust and doubt the immortals would react to your words if you thought of telling them once that a child, barely born, went to your dwelling and took away your flock ”(Homeric hymn "To Hermes").
But the god Apollo was not easily fooled. Apollo took the little god Hermes and carried him to Zeus, asking him to return to him the cows stolen by his son. Hermes wants to deny his crime, but Zeus, who knows and sees everything, orders Hermes to return the cows to their owner.
The god Hermes obeys and leads Apollo into the cave where the cows are. While Apollo is busy counting the herd, Hermes begins to play the kithara. Apollo is so delighted with his playing and instrument that he wants to buy a cithara. Hermes, as the future god of trade, realizing that he can make a good deal, agrees to give the kithara, but demands cows for it. Apollo agrees. While Apollo is just adapting to play it, the god Hermes is already inventing another musical instrument - the shepherd's horn - and in exchange for it he receives a caduceus from Apollo.
Hermes - god of trade, god of the gymnasium and teacher
The audacity and impudence with which the god Hermes lied on the first day of his birth, and the talent that Hermes showed in defending such a bad and wrong deed, forced to recognize and honor the god Hermes (Mercury) as the patron and patron of all lawyers.
The god Hermes (Mercury) from the very first days discovered such abilities in the exchange and sale that everyone began to revere him as the god of trade.
Ancient art then depicts the god Mercury with a purse in his hands. The same purse emblem is given to him when Hermes personifies the god of thieves, but in the first case Hermes is depicted as a slender, stately man, as if thinking and weighing his actions, and in the second case, Hermes is given the appearance of a child, slyly and slyly smiling, as if remembering his adventures.
Hermes is the god of the school of wrestlers and the patron of all gymnastic exercises in palestra. Then the god Hermes is depicted as a stately, strong ephebe, with short hair and with a rooster and a palm tree - emblems of struggle, strength and endurance.
The fight of roosters was one of the favorite spectacles of the ancient Greeks, who chose this bird as a symbol of the fight.
In all ancient Greek gymnasiums, one could find an image of Hermes, most often in the form of the head of this god, placed on a pedestal. This depiction of Hermes is called germ. And the god Hermes himself chuckles at such images - herms. “My name is,” he says, “swift Hermes. So do not put me in the palestras without legs and arms. Standing on a pedestal with no arms and no legs, how can I be a swift and agile wrestler?!”
Since letters serve to transmit thoughts and ideas of people among themselves, Hermes (Mercury), as the god of exchange and transmission, is the inventor of the alphabet and teaches people the art of transmitting their ideas and thoughts through writing.
Teachers, public scribes and everyone involved in writing turn to the god Hermes with requests and prayers. All tools that are used in writing, as well as for geometry, are dedicated to the god Hermes. In addition, according to the myths of ancient Greece, the god Hermes invented numbers, measures and scales.
God Hermes (Mercury) is in constant communication with the human race. Hermes loves to take part in people's lives, their hardships and prosperity. Hermes personifies the productive force of nature and is the mediator between nature and humanity. Hermes takes care of the fertility of the fields and, like a shepherd god, guards the flocks. In Arcadia, a pastoral country par excellence, the cult of Hermes was very widespread.
God Hermes - guardian of roads, travelers and sailors
Hermes (Mercury), as the god of trade, is the natural patron of travelers and sailors, the guardian of roads and waterways.
In the era of the Greek archaic, stones were piled up at the crossroads. Heaps of stones at the crossroads depicted altars to the god Hermes, and each passerby had to add his stone to this primitive monument.
Subsequently, altars of a different form began to be erected to the god Hermes.
Hermes - the god of eloquence, the messenger of the gods and the guide of souls to Hades
On the monuments of ancient art, depicting Hermes (Mercury) as the god of eloquence, he was given a special gesture: Hermes raised his right hand, as if he wants to explain something. The art of conveying thoughts through speech is one of the many qualities of the god Hermes (Mercury), and his duties included teaching people this art. They turned to the god Hermes when they wanted to ask him for the gift of memory and the ability to speak.
One Orphic hymn speaks of this god's many duties: "Beloved son of Maia and Jupiter, god of travelers, messenger of the immortals, possessor of a vast heart, stern censor of mankind, witty god who assumes a thousand species, slayer of Argus, god with winged feet, friend of mankind, patron of eloquence, you who love cunning and struggle, translator from all languages, friend of the world, happy god and useful god, patron of labor and helper in human disasters, listen to my prayers, grant me a happy end to my existence, good luck in my labors, mind, endowed with memory, and the gift of eloquence.
One of the main and most important duties of Hermes (Mercury) is to serve as a messenger of the gods and an intermediary between them and humanity. The god Hermes (Mercury) is par excellence the ambassador of Zeus (Jupiter), the executor of all his commands. The god Hermes has a winged hat and winged sandals, as if in order to quickly fulfill the instructions of the gods.
The caduceus, the everlasting affiliation of Hermes-Mercury, has various meanings. Initially, the caduceus of Hermes simply personified the rod of heralds. Subsequently, the caduceus of Hermes began to give miraculous power. So, for example, Hermes puts the vigilant Argus to sleep with the help of the caduceus, wanting to save the unfortunate Io from him.
A beautiful bronze statue of Giovanni da Bologna in Florence "Mercury setting out to fulfill the orders of Jupiter" has been preserved.
The god Hermes had a special obligation to escort the souls of the dead to the kingdom (of Pluto). In this function of the soul guide, the god Hermes is called psychopomp- "guide of souls" in translation from ancient Greek. On many monuments of ancient art, Hermes (Mercury) is depicted performing this duty, and on one ancient fresco, the god Hermes is presented giving the god Pluto, in the presence of Persephone, two souls.
Complaints of the god Hermes (Mercury)
Of all the gods of Olympus, Hermes is the most tireless worker. The lot of the god Hermes fell to so many various works and duties that, with all his industriousness, he cannot refrain, at least occasionally, from complaining.
According to the ancient Greek writer Lucian, Hermes says: “There is no god more unfortunate than me: I alone have so many things to do and so many diversified duties! In the morning I must sweep the hall where the gods feast; having put everything in order there, I go to Zeus to listen to his orders and instructions, and then, fulfilling them, I rush like a runner between Olympus and the earth.
ZAUMNIK.RU, Yegor A. Polikarpov - scientific editing, scientific proofreading, design, selection of illustrations, additions, explanations, translations from Latin and ancient Greek; all rights reserved.
Hermes or Mercury
Hermes, or Mercury, is in mythology the embodiment of exchange, transmission and transition from one state or position to another. Heavenly ambassador, he conveys the prayers of people to the gods, and the blessings of the gods to people; as a conductor of souls, He personifies the transition from life to death; the god of eloquence and contracts, he conveys to others the thoughts of the speaker or messenger. He is the god of gymnasiums (schools of wrestlers), because wrestling consists in the transmission of forces; he is the god of thieves and trade, because an object, stolen or bought, passes from one hand to another. On the monuments of archaic art, especially on vases and vessels, Mercury is depicted in the prime of life, with a thick pointed beard, with long curly hair, in a low traveling hat, with winged sandals and holding a caduceus in his hand, which sometimes resembles a scepter in statues. On engraved stones of a later era, Mercury is sometimes depicted with a beard, but these images are undoubtedly an imitation of ancient monuments, because in the era of the golden age of Greek art, the type of Mercury is completely different (Fig. 183). He is depicted as a tall, slender young man, always beardless, with short hair, thus representing the ideal type of a young man who attends wrestling schools (gymnasiums). His face does not express the greatness of Jupiter or the pride of Apollo, but it often reflects the slyness inherent in this cunning and dexterous god. The low winged hat and caduceus are the main attributes of Mercury; even when he is depicted with a bare head, he has wings on his head (Fig. 184). His caduceus, or rod, is a stick that is wrapped around two snakes. Sometimes he has wings or winged sandals on his heels. He is often given other attributes, in accordance with his various duties and positions. He performs the duties of a divine shepherd, and is then depicted with a ram or a goat; as the inventor of the lute, he is depicted accompanied by a tortoise from which he made the first lute; the rooster is given to him as an attribute of the god of gymnasiums; the purse in his hand indicates that he is the god of commerce. This last attribute is most often found on monuments of Roman origin, since among the Romans Mercury is par excellence the god of commerce.
Hermes, or Mercury, the son of Jupiter and Maya, daughter of Atlas, was born in a cave on the Arcadian mountain of Kyllene. Few gods are mentioned as often in mythology as this god; his role is very important; although he is considered a minor god, in many cases he, like a lackey in a comedy, turns out to be the main person who directs the course of the whole thing. Mercury invented the lute the same day he was born. Throwing off the diapers in which his caring mother wrapped him, he ran out of the cave; at the entrance he saw a tortoise walking slowly and importantly through the soft grass; he grabbed it, pulled the animal out of its dwelling (shell), pulled on the ram strings and covered the hard tortoise shell with an ox skin. Having finished his work, he struck the strings and was delighted with the sounds made by his new instrument. Pleased with his invention, the god immediately improvises a few harmonic verses, which he immediately sings in honor of his invention. Mercury from a very early age exhibits qualities that later earned him the honorary title of god of thieves. On the very first day of his birth, he steals the trident of Neptune, the arrows of Cupid, the sword of Mars, the belt of Venus, and, wanting to adequately end such a successful day, he goes to Pieria and steals a herd of bulls belonging to Apollo. Taking all possible precautions to confuse and hide his tracks, he leads the herd to Pylos, sacrifices two cows to the Olympian gods, and hides the rest in a cave. Returning to the cave on Mount Kyllena, he lays down as if nothing had happened in his cradle and wraps himself in swaddling clothes. The mother, noticing his absence, asks where he disappeared and what he did, and threatens him that the son of Latona (Apollo) will be able to find him and expose his tricks, but he boldly replies: “Mother, do not try to intimidate me, as if I were a weak child who has done some kind of prank and is a coward even to the voices of his mother. But I want and will engage in such art that will glorify both you and me ”(Homeric hymn).
Hermes (Mercury)
Hermes (Mercurius) (῾Ερμη̃ς) (῾Ερμείας)
THE BIRTH OF HERMES (MERCURY)
Homer, Virgil, and almost all ancient authors are unanimous in their opinion that Hermes, or Mercury (hereinafter referred to as Mercury), the son of Zeus (Jupiter) and Maya, the daughter of Atlas, one of the Pleiades (Hesiod. theog. 938), born in cave on the icy peak of the Arcadian mountain Kyllene* (therefore Κυλλήνιος).
Mercury's mother, Maya, gave birth to him on the top of a mountain, for the Mercury of the Philosophers is always born on high.Note, however, that "Maya" was one of the names of Cybele or Earth, and the name means "mother" or "nurse" or "grandmother". It is not surprising, therefore, that she was the mother of the Mercury of the Philosophers, or rather his nurse, as Hermes says: "nutrix ejus terra", which means "The earth nourishes him" (Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus). Therefore, Cybele was considered the grandmother of the gods, because. Maya is the mother of the Mercury of the Philosophers, and from this Mercury all the hermetic gods are born.
From the point of view of Hermetic Philosophy, the opinion of Pausanias on this matter is interesting, which contradicts Homer and Virgil and claims that Hermes was born on Mount Korik, near Tanagra, and that the newborn was washed in water collected from three springs.
Philosophical Mercury must be cleansed and washed thrice in its own water, which also consists of three; and therefore Michael Mayer repeated after one of the ancients:"Find a woman who does laundry and do as she does" ** . Linen is written by the same author, it cannot be washed with plain water, but only with that which turns into ice and snow under the sign of Aquarius. That is probably why Virgil wrote that Mount Cyllena was icy - Gelido culmine ***. In this allegory, we see three ablutions: the first - when pouring a washing solution, the second - when washing clothes in water to remove the dirt removed by soap, the third in clean and bright water to get clean and snow-white linen.
Jean d'Espanier writes about this:"The Mercury of the Philosophers is born, with two original spots - this is a dirty and impure earth, which he absorbed at his conception, and which mixed with him during coagulation; the second spot is associated with dropsy. This is raw and impure water, hiding between the skin and flesh, from the slightest heat evaporates it, but it must be cleansed of this earthly leprosy by a damp bath and natural washing."
Some ancient authors say that Hermes was raised on a purslane, because. it is oily and full of moisture. That is why, obviously, Raymond Lull claims that this plant has a mercurial nature, as well as the large moonberry, mallow, celandine and prolesnik. Some authors even claim that the Chinese were able to extract natural liquid mercury from the wild lunar.
As soon as Mercury was born, Juno gave him her breast, from which milk flowed so abundantly that the baby spilled it, and the Milky Way was formed from the spilled milk. According to some authors, Opsa received the order to feed the child, and the same thing happened to her as to Juno.
Juno gives her milk to Mercury, because when mercury is cleansed of its spots, milky water is formed from above, falling on it, as if to nourish it. Mythologists themselves consider Juno to be the moisture of the air.
MERCURY'S APPEARANCE
Mercury was depicted as a handsome, tall young man, very cheerful, with lively eyes and calm features, indicating a subtle mind, and affectionate kindness. His youthful appearance emphasized his mobility.
The Egyptians depicted Mercury with a half black and half golden face, and often with silver eyes. By this they undoubtedly wanted to indicate the three main colors of hermetic work - black, white and red, in which mercury is colored in the operations of Art, where mercury, according to the Philosophers, is everything: everyone seeks wisdom in mercury, for he transforms, with him they transform and by means of it the magisterium is prepared.
PROPERTIES AND CHARACTER FEATURES OF MERCURY
Hymn Hom. hymn. in Merc. indicates how Hermes, the Arcadian god of pastures, thanks to his cunning and dexterity, reaches his dignity and high position among the Olympian gods and how he delimits the circle of his activities from Apollo, with whom he originally had many qualities in common.
Mind, dexterity and resourcefulness in all cases - these are the main character traits of Mercury. Thanks to these qualities, starting with Homer, he is the herald of the gods, the messenger, the executor of the will of Zeus, the messenger, bringing everything to a good outcome with his dexterity (διάκτορος from the verb διάγω). Hermes is never, like Iris, just a simple messenger.
And the other properties of Hermes, in which he is close to the human race, as a god who brings help and bestows happiness and prosperity, are based on one fundamental quality, on his dexterity and resourceful cunning.
The nature and character of Mercury is quite clearly indicated by the property of the one who nursed him. Mercury is said to have been nurtured by Vulcan; however, he did not show gratitude to his mentor for his concern, moreover, he stole Vulcan's tools.
Endowed with such a roguish character, could Mercury stop there? He stole the belt of Venus, the scepter of Jupiter, the oxen of Admetus, grazing under the supervision of Apollo. Apollo wanted revenge, but Mercury prevented his desire by depriving him of his bow and arrows. As soon as he was born, he immediately overcame Cupid. When he grew up, he was given many assignments. He swept the hall where the gods gathered. He did everything necessary, carried the orders of Zeus (Jupiter) and other gods. He ran day and night, dominated the meetings, in a word, did not know a moment of peace.
However, Mercury's trickery is not of the usual sort. He stole Vulcan's tools in much the same way that a student of his teacher can rob, becoming the same scientist and then doing the art he independently comprehended. He learned everything from the school of Vulcan, and he himself took possession of his work and qualities. That he stole the ornate girdle of Venus and the scepter of Jupiter means that he becomes one and the other during the operations of the Great Work.
Incessantly working to purify the matter of this Art, Mercury sweeps the assembly hall and prepares it for the reception of the gods. That is, various colors: black or Saturn, then gray or Jupiter, citrine or Venus, white or the Moon, or Diana, saffron or rust color - Mars, purple - the Sun or Apollo, as well as others found on every page of the writings of adepts.
THE PLACE OF MERCURY IN THE DIVINE HIERARCHY
Messenger of the gods and guide of the dead to Hades
The messages of the gods, carried by them day and night, are the circulation in the vessel during the Great Work. Zeus makes him the herald of the gods, who also has the duty to escort the dead to Hades. The work that Mercury did, accompanying the dead to the world of Pluto and bringing them out from there, means dissolution and coagulation, fixation and acquisition of volatility by the matter of the Great Work.
God of Dreams
Mercury has always been considered the most vigilant of the gods. He did not sleep day or night, and, according to Homer ****, already on the first day of his life he played the cithara, and in the evening of the same day he stole the cows from Apollo. Therefore, as the messenger of Zeus, he was also the god of dreams and the giver of sleep, closing the eyes of people with his rod and rousing them to life again. Therefore, libations were brought to him before going to bed.
God of inventions and discoveries
Mercury is the god of various inventions and discoveries. He invented the lyre by attaching nine strings to a tortoise shell he picked up on the banks of the Nile, and was the first to identify the three tones of music: low, medium and high. The tones of music and the mode of the instruments invented by Mercury indicate the proportions, weight and measure of both the substances that make up the magisterium, and the method of establishing the power of fire, which must be applied gradually, as Nicolaus Flamel writes, and in geometric proportion, according to d "Espagnier .
"Take eleven grains of your earth, a grain of our gold and two grains of ours, not the vulgar Moon, place everything in our vessel and on our fire. The result of these proportions will be a harmonious whole, which we have already spoken about when it was about the daughter of Mars and Venus of Harmony".
Mercury also invented the syringa, letters and numbers, worship, the olive tree, and so on.
God of gymnastics (ἐναγώνιος)
God of a clever, clever word (λόγιος, facundus)
God of industry and commerce
A god who supplies wealth through cunning and deceit, even through theft and false oath, if all this is done only with a certain kind of grace and resourcefulness.
God is dear
God of flocks and pastures
He preserves and multiplies the flocks, he is the god of flocks and pastures. A beneficent god rightly deserves the name ἐριούνιος, ἀκάκητα, δωτὴρ ἐάων, χαριδότης.
God of Science and Religion
Strabo says that Mercury gave laws to the Egyptians, taught philosophy and astronomy to the priests of Thebes. Mark Manilius*****, in turn, argues that Mercury was the first to lay the foundations of religion among the Egyptians, established its rites, and revealed to them the causes of many natural phenomena.
God of thieves and crooks
Mercury is the patron of rogues, i.e. charlatans and those prompters who have gone bankrupt working with the matter they call mercury, and now are trying to make up for their losses at the expense of the purse of ignorant and too gullible fools.
God who brings profit and good
Already in pre-Homeric, in Pelasgian times, he was a god, bringing profit and good, having an extensive range of actions, leading everything in the life of nature and human beings, and his power was great in heaven and on earth. But when, in the well-organized heavenly kingdom on Olympus, he had to submit to Zeus and take his place among the other Olympian gods, he lost his original full power and had to be content with the position of a servant, subject to the highest manager and ruler of the world; but even in this subordinate position, his activity is still very diverse.
ACTS OF MERCURY
Stealing cows, bow and arrows from Apollo
Immediately after the birth, Hermes leaves the shrouds and the mother's cave and steals 50 cows from the herd of the gods, which Apollo pastured in Pieria. Apollo recognizes the thief through his gift of divination; but because Hermes does not want to confess, then Apollo takes him to Olympus and introduces him to Zeus, who orders him to return the cows. But when Apollo hears Hermes playing the lyre, which he made for himself from a tortoise, he gives him his cows for this instrument, which Hermes has been grazing since then; he also gives him a golden, with three branches, a rod of happiness and wealth and sends it to Friyas, three winged virgins on Mount Parnassus, so that he learns from them the omen of the lower degree, while he himself reserves the highest omen.
Mercury, the myth says, not only stole the bulls guarded by Apollo, but even stole the bow and arrows from Apollo himself.
Liberation of Ares from the shackles of the Aloads
Turning Butt to Stone
Mercury turned Butt into a touchstone, for the Philosopher's Stone is the true touchstone, serving to identify and distinguish those who boast that they know how to accomplish the Great Work, who deafen others with their chatter and who cannot confirm their words with deeds. In addition, gold is tested with a touchstone, and this fully corresponds to the story with Butt.
After stealing the oxen and the bow and arrow from Apollo, Mercury disguised himself and went to Butt to ask if there was anything about the stolen oxen. His altered garment is the Mercury of the Philosophers, which was at first volatile and fluid, but now fixed and powdered; this powder is gold, and, apparently, is not capable of producing it itself, although it extracts it from other metals containing parts of the beginning of gold. After the transmutation, it is necessary to seek the help of Butt or the touchstone in order to find out what happened to the imperfect metals that he saw before their transmutation. Ovid quotes Batt's answer:
..."Herd
There, under the mountain," he answered. And it was under the mountain.
Grandson of Atlanta, laughing ...
Metamorphoses, II, 703-705
At first they were on the same mountains
Protecting Odysseus from Pickaxe's machinations
(Hom. Od. 10, 277 ff.);
Accompanying Priam to Achilles' tent
The murder of Argus, guarding Jonah, with a stone
After the dissolution of matter and decomposition, this matter of the Philosophers acquires all kinds of colors, disappearing only when it begins to coagulate into stone and become fixed. It is Mercury that kills Argus with the stone (which is probably why it was called ᾽Αργειφόντης).
Muse! Let us glorify Hermes, born of Maya from Zeus!
Blessed messenger of the gods, over the eternal Arcadia
And he reigns over Killene...
(Homeric hymns, III, 1-3)
Mercury is your father, and he is on the icy Killen
In the mountain forests was conceived and born to Jupiter Maya...
(Aeneid, VIII, 138-139)
Real Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, (0015/0340-346).
The Greek pantheon is famous for its numerous deities, each of which has a specific purpose, a rich pedigree and an outstanding biography. Most gods and goddesses are children born from union with goddesses or mortal women. Hermes is a famous inhabitant of the ancient Greek Olympus. A lot of amazing nuances and details are associated with this character in the myths of Ancient Greece.
History of appearance
Hermes is the god of ancient Greece, whose mother was Maya, the daughter of Atlanta. As a child, the boy - half-man, half-god - showed himself to be a big bully. He did not disdain theft and funny pranks. Hermes is the first character of the Greek Olympus, whose childhood was widely mentioned in myths.
The origin of the name is dictated by the word "germa", which means a burial place under a pile of stones. Such marks were left on roads and borders. Hermes' nickname was "The Gatekeeper". God is favorable to travelers, in his power is the opening of any locks.
Hermes with baby Dionysus The deity is considered the patron saint of merchants and thieves. The conductor of mortals in the Kingdom of the Dead, Hermes lowers the dead to and the only one alive returns to earth. Hermes is considered a mediator between the two worlds. The deity is able to come in prophetic dreams to announce the will of Olympus.
The biography of Hermes is accompanied by striking achievements. Myths say that this character handed over the golden-fleece ram to Nefele, and handed the lyre to Amphion, with which he erected the walls of Thebes. From the hands of Hermes he takes a sword to fight with Medusa Gorgon and sandals that allow him to fly. Hermes patronizes travelers, so he gives Odysseus a magical herb so that he avoids the witchcraft of Circe.
In Greek mythology, Hermes had a son, Autolycus, an ancestor. In union with Aphrodite, the god conceived Hermaphrodite, who was then merged into one with the beloved nymph. A friend of the satyrs, the god Pan was also the brainchild of Hermes.
Hermes was often equated with Apollo. The gods were depicted in a duet in sculptural statues or decorated with statues at home, focusing on the nicknames of the heroes of legends: Hermes the Gateway and Apollo the Street. The Greeks sang of Hermes Trismegistus, which meant three times the greatest. There was a scientific direction called Hermeticism. It described the religious and philosophical judgments of the turn of the era.
Image and character
Characteristics of the character is simple and clear. God appears in human form. In accordance with the development of society, he was entrusted with various duties. Initially, he was the patron saint of shepherds, they turned to him for offspring. With the development of trade relations, God began to favor travelers and businessmen. He turned out to be favorable to travelers passing along the roads on earth and in the underworld.
Thanks to these functions, Hermes gained power over the mystical principle. Attributes accompanying the activities of a mythological character are winged sandals for fast movement and a golden scepter presented as a gift by Apollo. By means of a golden rod, Hermes brings people into a state of sleep and broadcasts the divine will to mortals. In the images, God often appears in a petas - a wide-brimmed hat.
Hermes appears in a positive way. The divine "career" of the son of Zeus and Maya began very ambiguously, but over time the image of the character is ennobled. He is entrusted with important functionality, which ceases to be associated with the fraud that initially attracted Hermes. The inhabitant of Olympus helps people in many endeavors.
Thanks to him, the journey is the right path, mortals understand how to please the gods, and the main characters of myths acquire important items. At the same time, the picaresque vein in the blood of Hermes, or rather, the propensity for commerce, makes him the patron of merchants. The writer, talking about the adventures of Odysseus, hints that the brave hero inherited important character traits from the divine ancestor in the form of cunning and resourcefulness.
It is noteworthy that Hermes is described as a notorious merry fellow and joker. He loved practical jokes and, for the sake of fun, stole the scepter of Zeus, the weapon of Apollo and the trident belonging to him.
- As you know, Greek myths had alternatives. In Roman mythology, Mercury is a character analogous to Hermes. Among the Romans, he was the patron of trade and numerous crafts.
- Hermes is not only the "father" of thieves and jesters. This god brought useful knowledge to mankind. The centaur Chiron came up with the measures of weight and length that Hermes gave to mortals. The alphabet and numbers also became known to people because of the indulgence of Hermes. It is believed that the first Egyptian scripts were invented by this prolific god.
- The inhabitants of Greece considered God the patron of athletes and sportsmen. In the policies there were stadiums named after the deity, and the schools where gymnasts studied and practiced were decorated with statues depicting the representative of Olympus.
- Herodotus wrote that the Athenians began to portray the god naked and with impressive manhood, having adopted the tradition from the Pelasgians. Hermes became the first deity of a phallic character. Singing it, the inhabitants of Ancient Greece erected columns called herms. In 415, the herms were destroyed, and with the advent of the Roman Empire, the phallic cult was leveled. At the same time, the rectangular column continued to be used as a pedestal for busts.
- Greek philologists testify that in ancient folklore works there are five prototypes of Hermes. The first was the son of Hemera and Uranus and became famous for his sympathy for Persephone. The second, a descendant of Coronis and Valens, bore the name Trophonius and lived in the underworld. The son of Maia and Zeus became the third image in myths and the parent of Pan and Penelope. The Egyptian deity Hermes was the son of the Nile, and another character in Egyptian legends in the guise of Hermes just gave people writing. His middle name is Thoth.
