HERMES & MERCURY 

 

Hey, Demigods! This week’s Battle of the gods is all about the differences and similarities between Hermes & Mercury. Mercury is often seen as Hermes’ Roman version, but is that true? Are you ready to find it out? 

 

Hermes: is the Greek god of travelers, trading & thieves. He’s also the messenger from the gods and is probably the sneakiest Olympian. He’s also known for his mischievous. Hermes is the son of Zeus and a mountain nymph called Maia. He isn’t married but has some children with multiple women. He even has a child with Aphrodite, called Hermaphrodite. He created Apollo’s lyre and he can be seen wearing winged shoes, a winged had and a caduceus (a staff with 2 snakes around it and wings at the top). It’s not the same as the rod of Asclepius (a staff with 1 snake around it), who can be found in hospitals & pharmacies. Hermes is one of the gods that are loyal to Zeus. 

 

Mercury: is the Roman god of travelers, trading & thieves and he’s the messenger of the gods. He has the same jobs as Hermes, but the Roman empire is different than the Greek poleis. For the Greek poleis, trading wasn't such a big thing and Hermes wasn’t really known for his trading job. In the Roman empire was trading very important, Mercury's biggest job was trading and even the name ‘Mercurius’ comes from the Latin word ‘Merx’ (merchandise). Mercury can be seen, just like Hermes wearing winged shoes, a winged hat & a caduceus. Mercury is also one of the gods that are loyal to Zeus. 

 

As you can see, Hermes & Mercury have many similarities. They look the same and can be seen wearing the same. They have the same jobs & they are both sneaky. There’s only 1 major difference: Mercury is more known as the god of trading, while Hermes isn’t really known for that.