Chapter 12 Hermes

CH 12: Hermes The Homeric Hymn to Hermes Zeus and Maia ● Zeus loved the nymph Maia in a cave and she had the baby Hermes (Mercury) ● Baby was born at dawn ● By midday he was playing the lyre ● In the evening he stole the cattle of Apollo Hermes Invents the Lyre ● Hermes leaves the cave and encounters a tortoise and devises a plan ● He cuts up the tortoise and uses the shell, along with reeds, an ox’s hide, and strings of sheep gut to make the first seven-stringed lyre ● He tuned the lyre and sang beautiful songs in honor of his father and mother Hermes Steals Apollo’s Cattle ● Hermes craved meat and devised a plan to steal Apollo’s cattle ● In the night, he cut off from the herd fity head and made them walk backwards while he walked straight ● He wore sandals of wicker to disguise his tracks ● When an old man working in a luxuriant vineyard noticed Hermes driving the cattle, the infant god told him not to tell, promising him a good harvest of grapes and much wine Hermes Makes Sacrifice ● Hermes fed the cows and found a shelter for them ● He gathered some wood and was the first to use dry sticks and by friction kindle a fire ● He skinned and butchered two of the cattle and divided rich parts of the meat into twelve portions, which he roasted as offerings to the gods ● Following the ritual of sacrifice, he, as one of the gods, could not eat any of the meat but only savor the aroma ● After destroying all evidence of what he had done, he returned home to his mother Hermes Reassures Maia ● Hermes got into his cradle and acted like a helpless baby but Maia (his mother) was not fooled ● Hermes answered her with clever words, assuring her that he was to be the prince of thieves and that he would win honor and riches for them both among the Olympian gods Apollo Tracks Down Hermes ● Apollo made inquires of the old man tending the vineyard and the old man told him he had seen a child driving a herd backwards ● The sign of an eagle with extended wings told Apollo that the thief was a son of Zeus ● The ingenuity of the theft led him to the cave of Maia and Hermes Apollo Confronts Hermes ● Apollo was mad ● Apollo questioned Hermes about the stolen cattle ● Hermes claimed he did not know a thing since he was only born yesterday ● Apollo was not fooled ● The argument ended only when Apollo brought Hermes to the top of Mt. Olympus, where he sought justice from Zeus himself Zeus Decides the Case ● Apollo spoke first ● Hermes’ reply was full of lies ● Zeus ordered Hermes, in his role of guide, to lead Apollo to the place where he had hidden the cattle The Reconciliation between Hermes and Apollo ● Hermes did as Zeus commanded and when Apollo found his cattle, the two reconciled ● Hermes played a song of his lyre and Apollo exclaimed that his skill was worth fifty cows ● He promised that Hermes would become the messenger of the gods and that his mother would have renown among the immortals ● Hermes gave the lyre to Apollo ordaining that he should become a master of the musical art ● Apollo in turn gave Hermes a shining whip and put him in charge of cattle herds. And so the two returned to Olympus, where Zeus united them in friendship ● Hermes swore to Apollo that he would never again steal any of his possessions ● For this Apollo gave to Hermes a golden staff, protective of wealth and prosperity, and as well another gift ● Apollo alone had the prerogative of knowing the mind of Zeus and uttering prophecies in accord with his divine wisdom, he could not share with his new friend Hermes ● Yet he could and did tell Hermes about the Thriae, the three virgin sisters who were masters of the art of divination, whom Hermes could consult as a source of prophetic knowledge that he could pass on to mortals, who would be fortunate if they listened Hermaphroditus and Salmacis ● As a result of an affair between Hermes and Aphrodite, a son was born, named Hermaphroditus ● Most famous version of this story comes from Ovid ● Hermaphroditus was brought up in a mountain cave by nymphs, and when he was fifteen he left home to wander unknown lands ● When he came to Halicarnassus, on the coast of Asia Minor, he discovered a lovely clear pool of water surrounded by fresh green grass ● A nymph, Salmacis, inhabited the pool. She refused to hunt in the woods and follow the pursuits of Artemis, but instead remained at her pool, often languishing seductively on its verdant banks ● When she was picking flowers, she caught sight of Hermaphroditus ● FINISH The Nature, Attributes, and Worship of Hermes