Hermes



**Ancient** **Mythology** In Ancient Greek Mythology, Hermes is the son of Zeus and the nymph Maia. His children are Hermaphroditos, Eunomia, Peitho, Rhodes, and Tyche. He fathered theses children with Aphrodite. He also has Pan, whose mother is Dryope. He is the god of travel, shepherds, merchants, literature, athletics, and thieves, just to name a few. He is most well-known as the messenger of the gods. His symbols include the winged sandals and hat, a tortoise, a golden staff and a rooster. Hermes is the messenger from the gods to humans. He delivered messages from Olympus to the mortal world. He, like Hades, Persephone, Hecate and Thanatos are the only people who enter and leave the Underworld without any problems. Before the fifth century, Hermes was traditionally pictured as an old man with a beard. In the fifth century, his image was changed to the young, athletic image we see today. When Hermes was born, he escaped the cave in which he lived and eventually stole a herd of cows from his brother Apollo. When he was hiding the stolen cattle, he found a tortoise and he killed it. Once it was dead, he cleaned it and tired strings, made from the cattle he sacrificed and invented the lyre. When Apollo discovered the missing cattle, he accused Hermes, after finding no proof of thieves in the area. Zeus, having seen what happened made Hermes return the remaining cattle. Instead of returning the cattle, Hermes traded his lyre for the cattle. While he was tending to his herd, Hermes made a shepherd’s pipe and started to play it. Apollo also wanted the pipe, so in return Hermes received Apollo’s staff. 

**Modern Adaptment **  In the Lightening Thief, Hermes is Luke's father. Hermes is the messenger of the gods, and is sometimes willing to help the demigods, if he is bored enough. Hermes does not really claim his children, so they often feel neglected and unwanted or unimportant. When he does pay attention to his children, either because he has to or he chooses to, he is often lazy and uninterested in anything that has to do with his children. He gave Luck a pair of flying shoes, in which Luke gives to Percy to help him on his quest. With Luke's quest, Hermes sent him to retrieve the golden apple from the Garden of Hesperides. This was a great insult to Luke because the quest was already accomplished. He was too lazy or uncaring that he would not choose a quest for his own son. Luke feels unwanted by his father and, as a result, ends up almost creating a war between the gods because he decided to help Kronos. There is not much of a description of Hermes in the story. He seems like an uncaring father who has better things to do then worry about his children. He seems to be lazy to me. He does give his son a pair of shoes that fly, so it shows that he does not completely reject his children, he is just very uninterested or too busy to care.