Hermes is the son of Zeus and Maia. He is Zeus' messenger. He is the fastest of the gods. He wears winged sandals, a winged hat, and carries a magic wand. He is the god of thieves and god of commerce. He is the guide for the dead to go to the underworld. He invented the lyre, the pipes, the musical scale, astronomy , weights and measures, boxing, gymnastics, and the care of olive trees. Hermes is the herald of the gods and also leads human souls into and occasionally out of the underworld. Zeus used him as a troubleshooter and secret-agent type, dispatching him to take care of assorted problems - he put Argos to sleep so Io could escape from Zeus' outraged wife Hera. Hermes also arranged for Odysseus to slip away from Callisto, among many other tasks.

  • Appearance: A handsome young man with a winged hat, winged sandals, and a golden staff twined with serpents.
  • Symbol or Attribute:His staff, called kerykerion in Greek, caduceus in Latin, the symbol used by doctors, though Hermes' connection with healing is faint. He is, however, the god of merchants.
  • Strengths: Clever, bold, determined, athletic, a powerful magician. Can charm monsters with his flute or lyre music.
  • Weaknesses: No major weakness unless you count seldom staying still for long.
  • Birthplace: Born in a cave on Mount Cylene in Arcadia to Maia.
  • Spouse: Hasn't settled down yet.
  • Children:By his affair with Dryope, Pan, lusty god of the wild; by the Goddess of Love Aphrodite, Hermaphroditus, a half-man, half-woman deity; Abderus.