August 14: Financial Awareness Day

The English “merchant” derives from the Roman god Mercury, who was the patron of trade and all things money. The Greeks called him Hermes (meaning “inquisitive” or “interpreter”), and gave him the honourary title of “psychopompos” (“soul-guide”), because he was the only god who could freely visit the underworld. He was regarded as the cleverest god of all, ever since he invented the lyre when he was still a toddler. He was also the most deceitful, and tricked his half brother Apollo on more than one occasion. He passed on his wit – and his deviousness – to his descendants, like the notorious robber Autolykos, and the cunning hero Odysseus. As messenger of the gods, he developed some typical merchandise, like his winged helmet and sandals, and his “caduceus”, symbol of his inviolability. Not to forget his “herms”: stylized statues in the form of stone blocks with a face, placed alongside roads and crossings. They pointed wanderers and travelers in the right direction. Proudly, by means of a well proportioned bodypart.

Herm, National Archeologisch Museum Athens, Greece

Herm on Lekythos, Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

Did you know?

• The constellation Lepus (The Hare) is associated with Hermes/Mercurius, because of Hermes’ swiftness.

• Concerning his name, meaning “interpreter”: The mythographer Hyginus (1st cent. AD?) credits Hermes/Mercurius for introducing different languages and different nations, just for the fun of creating discord.

• Autolykos/Autolycus was Hermes’/Mercury’s son with Chione. He was infamous for his deviousness and his capability to shapeshift, wich enabled him to steal anything whithout being caught. He would have been married to Mestra, also a shapeshifter (cfr. “Hungry Eyes”) and the couple had a daughter, Antikleia/Anticlea. Some myths say that Autolykos repeatedly raided the herd of Sisyphos/Sisyphus (cfr. “The Great Pretenders”). Therefore, Sisyphos marked the hoofs of his lifestock and followed the trail to Autolykos’ place, where he slept with Autolykos’ daughter Antikleia in revenge. This way, he would have been the real father of Odysseus/Ulysses (cfr. “The Lady in Blue”).

• About the invention of the lyre: cfr. “Instrumental”.

• About the caduceus: cfr. “Stakes and Snakes”.

• Hermes/Mercurius and Apollo were in constant rivalry. Hermes stole Apollo’s cows when he was still a toddler, putting shoes on the cows’ feet, so that the tracks would not show a herd of cattle. Apollo eventually traded the cows for the lyre that Hermes had invented. Hermes than created the syrinx, and also swapped this with Apollo, in exchange for the gift of prophecy (with the use of pebbles.)