Mercury: Messenger of Gods, Guide of Souls, and Patron of Commerce
MERCURY Rubens XVI-XVII centuries Museo del Prado, Madrid
Mercury appears at rest wearing a helmet and a heel with wings in his hand carried the caduceus, a staff-logo that looks at other times, it’s a stick surrounded by two intertwined snakes, which employed as a kind of magic wand that allowed him to sleep or waking up to the living. Mercury is the Roman god of commerce (its name is the same root as the word merx, merchandise) after having been assimilated into the Greek Hermes also became divine protector of travelers, Hermes messenger of the gods Zeus was born and Maya, daughter of Atlas, in a cave on Mount Cilene in Arcadia, this god said from his earliest years the two main qualities which are linked all his divine duties, very different: the cunning intelligence and mobility. Shortly after birth got rid of her diapers and the shell of a turtle, found in front of the grotto, built a new musical instrument, the lyre. Then he went to Thessaly, where he stole a herd of fifty cows entrusted to the care of his brother Apollo, who at that time was entertaining amorous occupations. Making the beasts walking backwards, led to the animals throughout Greece to get to Pylos, where the left hidden in a cave. He then returned to the cave and returned to get into his crib with the most innocent air in the world. Apollo did not take long to hear the whole thing and went to Maya demanding the return of the herd. This protested indignantly, pointing to the sleeping boy benignly. Apollo then appealed to Zeus who, at the shameless lies of Hermes, burst out laughing and told him to return the cattle. Apollo, however, fascinated by the melodious sounds that your brother extracted from the lira, agreed to cede the herd in exchange for the instrument. Hermes later invented the rubber (or flute of Pan), Apollo also acquired in exchange for gold long staff he used to watch over their flock. One day, Hermes broke with him two snakes fighting one another. Tamed, the reptiles are intertwined around the arch, this is the origin of the caduceus, which topped by two small wings, was among the Greeks are the staple of the ambassadors and heralds. Mediator god, Hermes is the messenger of the gods Zeus to both as to men. Is he, for example, who transmitted the order Calypso
Odysseus let go and who reveals the latter the magical plant that will protect you from the spells of Circe. Interpreter of the divine will in this sense plays a supporting role along with many heroes: Heracles, who gives his sword and to protect many times, Perseus, which gives the Hades helmet and winged sandals. Immortals themselves owe much: Ares saves when he was a prisoner of the Alóadas he helps in fighting Zeus Typhon and the lord of the gods placed in their hands for help to thwart the revenge plots hatched by the jealous Hera kill the giant Argos, guardian of the young Io. On earth is the god of eloquence, the protector of travelers, later, merchants, but thieves. In Hell is in charge of escorting the souls of the dead. In his love goddesses or mortals were born several children. The best known are the Hermaphrodite, Autolycus, the grandfather of Odysseus, and the god Pan Hermaphrodite is the son of Hermes and Aphrodite, who is named. One day he bathed in the waters of a lake, the nymph Salmálice, captivated by her beauty, embraced him and, as this is resisted his amorous advances, the nymph prayed to the gods that their bodies were never separated.His plea was granted and since then formed a single being of dual nature. Hermaphrodite, in turn, obtained from them every man to bathe in the waters of the lake lost virility. Pan, unknown in the Homeric legend, however, in a Homeric hymn is said that the son of Hermes and the daughter of Dryope. When he was born, his mother was frightened by the monstrous being who had just given birth. But Hermes wrapped the newborn in a rabbit skin and took him to Olympus. Revered especially in Arcadia, is the god of the shepherds of this region and represents the power and fecundity of wild nature, with strong sexual overtones. That divinity hybrid, half man, half goat, usually lives in forests and mountains, of which no doubt to throw out in pursuit of nymphs. Syrinx is the case, which he managed to escape from metamorphosing in cane, with which Pan, for comfort, made the instrument that bears the name of the nymph and is also designated a Pan Flute He is often represented crowned with pine branches and carrying the shepherd’s crook. This divinity lewd, sexually insatiable, crazy part of the procession of the god Dionysus. The Romans identified with the god Faunus italics.