What is Hermes?
{{Infobox deity | type = Greek | name = Hermes | image = Hermes Ingenui Pio-Clementino Inv544.jpg | alt = | caption = ''Hermes Ingenui'' ([[Vatican Museums]]), Roman copy of the 2nd century BC after a Greek original of the 5th century BC. | god_of = Messenger of the gods, god of winter, trade, thieves, travelers, sports, athletes, cunning, wit, sleep, magic, border crossings, [[Psychopomp|guide to the Underworld]] | abode = [[Mount Olympus]] | symbol =[[Talaria]], [[caduceus]], [[tortoise]], [[lyre]], [[rooster]], [[Petasos]] ([[Winged helmet]]) | consort = [[Merope (Pleiades)|Merope]], [[Aphrodite]], [[Dryope]], [[Peitho]] | parents = [[Zeus]] and [[Maia (mythology)|Maia]] | siblings = [[Aeacus]], [[Angelos (Greek mythology)|Angelos]], [[Aphrodite]], [[Apollo]], [[Ares]], [[Artemis]], [[Athena]], [[Dionysus]], [[Eileithyia]], [[Enyo]], [[Eris (mythology)|Eris]], [[Ersa]], [[Hebe (mythology)|Hebe]], [[Helen of Troy]], [[Hephaestus]], [[Heracles]], [[Minos]], [[Pandia]], [[Persephone]], [[Perseus]], [[Rhadamanthus]], the [[Graces]], the [[Horae]], the [[Litae]], the [[Muse]]s, the [[Moirai]] | children = [[Pan (god)|Pan]], [[Hermaphroditus]], [[Abderus]], [[Autolycus]], [[Eudorus]], [[Angelia]], [[Myrtilus]] | mount = | Roman_equivalent = [[Mercury (mythology)|Mercury]] }} [[File:Caduceus.svg|thumb|left|100px|The caduceus of Hermes]] '''Hermes''' is the ''messenger of the gods''. He is the god of [[winter]], [[travel]]lers and [[shepherd]]s in [[Greek mythology]]. He is one of the [[Twelve Olympians]], and is often shown with his caduceus. Hermes is the son of [[Zeus]] and [[Maia]]. He was born on [[Mount Cyllene]]. The story of his birth was told in the [[Homeric Hymns|Homeric Hymn]], which means ''Hymn to Hermes''. It said that [[Maia]] was a [[nymph]]. Hermes was very clever and on his first day invented the [[lyre]], by using the [[Animal shell|shell]] of a [[tortoise]]. He carries a golden sword. One of the myths about Hermes is that he once stole his brother's oxen, and burned them as a sacrifice. ==