A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

412 HERMES. HERMES.
10. ~ 2; Anton. Lib. 23.) In order not to be dis- both in words and actions, and even fraud, perjury,
covered by the traces of his footsteps, Hermes put and the inclination to steal; but acts of this kind
on sandals, and drove the oxen to Pylos, where he were committed by Hermes always with a certain
killed two, and concealed the rest in a cave. (Comp. skill, dexterity, and even gracefulness. Examples
the different stratagems by which he escaped in occur in the Homeric hymn onil Hermes (66, 260,
Hom. Hymn. in Mere. 75, &c., and Anton. Lib. 383; comp. Eustath. ad Hornm. p. 1337; Hom.
1. c.) The skins of the slaughtered animals were II. v. 390, xxiv. 24; Apollod. i. 6. ~ 3).
nailed to a rock, and part of their flesh was pre- Being endowed.with this shrewdness and sagapared and consumed, and the rest burnt; at the city, he was regarded as the author of a variety of
same time he offered scrifices to the twelve gods, inventions, and, besides the lyre and syrinx, he is
whence he is probably called the inventor of divine said to have invented the alphabet, numbers, asWorship and sacrifices. (Hom. Hymn. in Mere. tronomy, music, the art of fighting, gymnastics, the
1-25, &c.; Diod. i. 16.) Hereupon he returned cultivation of the olive tree, measures, weights, and
to Cyllene, where he found a tortoise at the en- many other things. (Plut. Sympos. ix. 3; Diod. l.c.
trance of his native cave. He took the animal's and v. 75; Hygin. Fab. 277.) The powers which
shell, drew strings across it, and thus invented the he possessed himself he conferred upon those morlyre and plectrum. The number of strings of his tals and heroes who enjoyed his favour, and all
new invention is said by some to have been three who had them were under his especial protection, or
and by others seven, and they were made of the are called his sons. (Od. x. 277, &c., xv. 318, &c.,
guts either of oxen or of sheep. (Hom. 1. c. 51; Diod. xix. 397; Soph. Philoct. 133; Hes. Op. 67; Eui. 16, v. 75; Orph. Argon. 381; Horat. Carm. i. stath. ad Hoam. pp. 18, 1053.) He was employed by
10. 6.) Apollo, by his prophetic power, had in the gods and more especially by Zeus on a variety
the meantime discovered the thief, and went to of occasions which are recorded in ancient story.
Cyllene to charge him with it before his mother Thus he conducted Priam to Achilles to fetch the
Maia. She showed to the god the child in its body of Hector (II. xxiv. 336), tied Ixion to the
cradle; but Apollo took the boy before Zeus, and wheel (Hygin. Fab. 62), conducted Hera, Aphrodemanded back his oxen. Zeus commanded him dite, and Athena to Paris (Hygin. Fab. 92; Paus.
to comply with the demand of Apollo, but Hermes v. 19. ~ 1), fastened Prometheus to Mount Caucadenied that he had stolen the cattle. As, how- sus (Serv. ad Virg. Eclog. vi. 42), rescued Dioever, he saw that his assertions were not be- nysus after his birth from the flames, or received
lieved, he conducted Apollo to Pylos, and restored him from the hands of Zeus to carry him to Athato him his oxen; but when Apollo heard the mas (Apollod. iii. 4. ~ 3; Apollon. Rhod. iv.
sounds of the lyre, he was so charmed that he 1137), sold Heracles to Omphale (Apollod. ii. 6.
allowed Hermes to keep the animals. Hermes now ~ 3), and was ordered by Zeus to carry off Io, who
invented the syrinx, and after having disclosed his was metamorphosed into a cow, and guarded by
inventions to Apollo, the two gods concluded an Argus; but being betrayed by Hierax, he slew
intimate friendship with each other. (Hom. 1.c. Argus. (Apollod. ii. 1. ~ 3.) From this murder he
514, &c.) Apollo presented his young friend with is very commonly called'Apyelq~vTr's. (II. xxiv.
his own golden shepherd's staff, taught him the art 182; comp. Schol. ad Aeschyl. Prom. 563; Ov.
of prophesying by means of dice, and Zeus made Met. i. 670, &c.) In the Trojan war Hermes was
him his own herald, and also of the gods of the on the side of the Greeks. (II. xx. 72, &c.) His
lower world. According to the Homeric hymn ministry to Zeus is not confined to the offices of
(533, &c.), Apollo refused to teach Hermes the art herald and messenger, but he is also the charioteer
of prophecy, and referred him for it to the three and cupbearer. (Hornm. Od. i. 143, 11. xxiv. 178,
sisters dwelling on Parnassus; but he conferred 440, Hymn. in Cer. 380; Eustath. ad Hoem. p.
upon him the office of protecting flocks and pas- 1205.) As dreams are sent by Zeus, Hermes, the
tures (568; comp. Lucian, Dial. Deor. 7; Ov. (71rVwp Jveipwov, conducts them to marn, and hence
Mlfet. ii. 683, &c.). he is also described as the god who had it in his
The principal feature in the traditions about power to send refreshing sleep or to take it away.
Hermes consists in his being the herald of the gods, (Hom. Hymn. in Merc. 14, II. ii. 26, xxiv. 343,
and in this capacity he appears even in the Homeric &c.) Another important function of Hermes was
poems; his original character of an ancient Pe- to conduct the shades of the dead from the upper
lasgian, or Arcadian divinity of nature, gradually into the lower world, whence he is called uvXodisappeared in the legends. As the herald of the IrourJ6s, emcpoiroeir6s, qvxaywyds, &c. (Hom. Od.
gods, he is the god of skill in the use of speech and xxiv. 1, 9, Hymn. in Cer. 379, &c.; Eustath. ad
of eloquence in general, for the heralds are the Horn. p. 561; Diog. La6rt. viii. 31; Hygin. Fab.
public speakers in the assemblies and on other oc- 251.)
casions. (11. i. 333, iv. 193, vii. 279, 385, viii. The idea of his being the herald and messenger
517, xi. 684; comp. Orph.-Hymn. 27. 4; Aelian, of the gods, of his travelling from place to place
H. A. x. 29; Hor. Car'm. i.. 10. 1.) As an and concluding treaties, necessarily implied the
adroit speaker, he was especially employed as mes- notion that he was the promoter of social intersenger, when eloquence was required to attain the course and of commerce among men, and that he
desired object. (Od. i. 38, 1n. xxiv. 390; Hom. was friendly towards man. (Od. xix. 135, II. xxiv.
Hymn. in Cer. 335.) Hence the tongues of sacri- 333.) In this capacity he was regarded as the
ficial, animals were offered to him. - (Aristoph. Par, maintainer of peace, and as the god of roads, who
1062; Athen. i. p. 16.) As heralds and messen- protected travellers, and punished those who regers are usually men of prudence and circumspec- fused to assist travellers who had mistaken their
tion, Hermes was also the god of prudence and way. (11. vii. 277, &c.; Theocrit. xxv. 5; Ariskill in all the relations of social intercourse. (II. stoph. Plut. 1159.) Hence the Athenian generals,
xx. 35, xxiv. 282, Od. ii. 38.) These qualities on setting out on an expedition, offered sacrifices to
were combined with similar ones, such as cunning, Hermes, surnamed Hegemonius, or Agetor; and