--- title: Mercury (Deity) author: Donald L. Wasson source: https://www.worldhistory.org/Mercury_(Deity)/ format: machine-readable-alternate license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) updated: 1970-01-01 --- # Mercury (Deity) _Authored by [Donald L. Wasson](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/DWasson/)_ Mercury (Mercurius) was the [Roman](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Roman/) [god](https://www.worldhistory.org/God/) of commerce, often serving as a mediator between the gods and mortals, his winged feet giving him the advantage of speed, and so was the patron of circulation in general - of people, goods and messages. Mercury protected both merchants, especially those dealing in grains, and travelers. Merchants would pray to him for high profits and protection of their [trade](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/trade/) goods. However, to many, he was also known for being cunning and shrewd as well as a deceiver, often pulling pranks on the unsuspecting, especially the god [Apollo](https://www.worldhistory.org/apollo/). Mercury was the son of the king of the gods [Jupiter](https://www.worldhistory.org/jupiter/) and purportedly Maia, goddess of the plains. Considered by some to be of foreign origin, he is often associated with his [Greek](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/greek/) counterpart [Hermes](https://www.worldhistory.org/Hermes/). His Roman name Mercurius is probably derived from the Latin word for merchandise (*merx*). Like Hermes, he escorted the dead to the underworld. Allegedly, while escorting the [nymph](https://www.worldhistory.org/nymph/) Lara to [Pluto](https://www.worldhistory.org/Pluto/)'s realm, he fathered the twin Lares, guardian gods of [Rome](https://www.worldhistory.org/Rome/). A [temple](https://www.worldhistory.org/temple/) honoring him was built around 495 BCE and stood on the southwest slope of Aventine Hill near the [Circus Maximus](https://www.worldhistory.org/Circus_Maximus/) of Rome. Mercury's festival day was celebrated on May 15 in commemoration of the founding of his temple. A cult paying homage to him existed outside the [city](https://www.worldhistory.org/city/) of Rome in Campania and Latium as well as in [Gaul](https://www.worldhistory.org/gaul/) and [Britain](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Britain/). The god is frequently depicted holding the caduceus, a wand used to reconcile conflicts, and winged sandals for quickly carrying messages for the gods. The wand had been given to him by Apollo in [Greek mythology](https://www.worldhistory.org/Greek_Mythology/). Besides the wand and sandals, he also wore a broad-brimmed hat, the Petasus, and carried a purse, a symbol of his duties as the god of commerce and profits. Like many of the Roman gods, a planet - the closest one to the sun - was named for him. ### Mercury & Jupiter [Roman mythology](https://www.worldhistory.org/Roman_Mythology/) is replete with stories of Mercury. It was Mercury who was sent to remind the Trojan [Aeneas](https://www.worldhistory.org/Aeneas/) to leave his beloved Queen [Dido](https://www.worldhistory.org/Dido/) and [Carthage](https://www.worldhistory.org/carthage/) and achieve his destiny to found Rome. Often, however, Jupiter would take Mercury with him on many of his excursions to earth to be among the mortals. According to the Roman poet [Ovid](https://www.worldhistory.org/ovid/) in his *Metamorphoses*, on one of these trips, the two, dressed as [peasants](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Peasants/), came to a small village where they were dismissed rudely by its inhabitants. However, they knocked on the door of the small home of Baucis and Philemon. Although extremely poor, the couple, unaware of who their guests were, shared what little food and drink they possessed with the weary travelers. They were even willing to kill their only goose. Upon revealing themselves to the old couple, Jupiter wanted to reward them; however, they only had one wish, that they would die together. Even though he destroyed the rest of the village, the king of the gods honored their wishes, but until that day arrived he made them caretakers of a temple he built on the site of their old home. [ ![Hermes Ludovisi](https://www.worldhistory.org/img/r/p/500x600/713.jpg?v=1731513908) Hermes Ludovisi Marie-Lan Nguyen (CC BY-SA) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/713/hermes-ludovisi/ "Hermes Ludovisi")### Mercury the Thief Besides the god of commerce, Mercury was also the patron of shepherds, cheats and thieves. Ovid relays a story of Mercury who was a master thief himself. A servant named Battus was watching a herd of mares in a pasture when he saw Mercury steal a herd of cattle and drive them into nearby woods. Mercury told Battus if anyone inquired about the missing cattle he should say that he saw nothing. As a reward, the god gave the old man a heifer. Returning later in a disguise, Mercury asked him if he had seen anything. After being promised a heifer and a bull if he talked, the old man revealed all. Angry, Mercury turned him into stone. ### Other Adventures Another time the winged god saved Jupiter from the wrath of his wife, the jealous [Hera](https://www.worldhistory.org/Hera/). While Jupiter was with Io, daughter of the river god Inachus, Mercury warned him of his approaching wife. Immediately, Jupiter changed Io into a heifer. The suspicious Hera placed the poor girl, still in the disguise of a heifer, under the watchful eyes of the many-eyed Argus. In order to free Io Mercury told Argus boring stories until he finally fell asleep. After Mercury beheaded Argus, Io was freed. As with many stories in Roman [mythology](https://www.worldhistory.org/mythology/), narratives about Mercury became intertwined with those of Hermes, so it is often difficult to separate the two. One story, more often associated with Hermes, concerns [Demeter](https://www.worldhistory.org/demeter/) and her daughter [Persephone](https://www.worldhistory.org/persephone/). In Roman Mythology it is Mercury who escorts the young Proserpina, daughter of [Ceres](https://www.worldhistory.org/Ceres/), to the underworld to be with Pluto (the Greek [Hades](https://www.worldhistory.org/Hades/)). One last story tells of the adventuresome Mercury as a small child - again it is an episode more often attributed to Hermes. Although a talented child - he built a [lyre](https://www.worldhistory.org/Lyre/) out of a tortoiseshell - one night he slipped away from his mother and, spying Apollo's oxen grazing in a field, stole them. After eating two of them, Mercury returned to his mother. Upon finding his oxen missing and seeing how two of them had been eaten, Apollo realized who was the culprit and took the infant to Mt. Olympus where he was found guilty. Mercury was then forced to return the oxen and he gave his lyre to Apollo to replace the missing oxen. #### Editorial Review This human-authored definition has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/). ## Bibliography - Bagnall, R. *The Encyclopedia of Ancient History.* Wiley-Blackwell, 2012 - [Grimal, P. *The Dictionary of Classical Mythology.* Blackwell Pub, 2018.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/B01FIWE7WG/) - [Guerber, H.A. *Classical Mythology.* FALL RIVER PRESS, 2018.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/B07B1CV7MX/) - [Hamilton, E. *Mythology.* Black Dog & Leventhal, 2017.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0316438529/) - [Ovid. *Metamorphoses.* Penguin Classics, 2004.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/014044789X/) - [Price, J. *The Oxford Dictionary of Classical Myth snd Religion.* OUP.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0872260631/) - [Stapleton, M. *The Illustrated Dictionary of Greek and Roman Mythology.* Peter Bedrick Books, 1986.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0872260631/) ## About the Author Donald has taught Ancient, Medieval and U.S. History at Lincoln College (Normal, Illinois)and has always been and will always be a student of history, ever since learning about Alexander the Great. He is eager to pass knowledge on to his students. ## Timeline - **495 BCE**: A [temple](https://www.worldhistory.org/temple/) is built in honour of Mercury near [Rome](https://www.worldhistory.org/Rome/)'s [Circus Maximus](https://www.worldhistory.org/Circus_Maximus/). - **43 BCE - 17 CE**: Life of the [Roman](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Roman/) writer [Ovid](https://www.worldhistory.org/ovid/), author of Metamorphoses. ## Cite This Work ### APA Wasson, D. L. (2018, November 06). Mercury (Deity). *World History Encyclopedia*. [https://www.worldhistory.org/Mercury\_(Deity)/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Mercury_(Deity)/) ### Chicago Wasson, Donald L.. "Mercury (Deity)." *World History Encyclopedia*, November 06, 2018. [https://www.worldhistory.org/Mercury\_(Deity)/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Mercury_(Deity)/). ### MLA Wasson, Donald L.. "Mercury (Deity)." *World History Encyclopedia*, 06 Nov 2018, [https://www.worldhistory.org/Mercury\_(Deity)/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Mercury_(Deity)/). ## License & Copyright Submitted by [Donald L. Wasson](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/DWasson/ "User Page: Donald L. Wasson"), published on 06 November 2018. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.