ermes was the son of Zeus and of Maia, a Naiad who was the oldest and loveliest daughter of Atlas, and was born on Mount Cyllene in Arcadia. As the messenger and herald of the gods, Hermes was frequently requested to speak in public, and to do a great deal of travelling; he therefore became the god of eloquence and speech, and the god of roads who would protect travellers like himself.

Hermes was also the god of prudence and cunning; not only in legitimate terms, but in less favourable terms he was also the god of fraud, perjury and theft. As the father of gymnastic science, he was the patron and guardian of gymnastic games and athletic contests, with all gymnasia in Greece being under his protection.

In many places, Hermes was worshipped as the god of crops, and of mining and the god who helps those who dig in the earth for buried treasure. In Arcadia, he was honoured as the god who bestows the blessing of fertility on animals and soil. He was (as well as Morpheus, who played a minor role), the god of sleep.

Hermes was one of the most active and energetic gods, and held many positions of trust. He executed many of Zeus' important missions. Many inventions, including the panpipes were said to be his. Numbers, the alphabet, astronomy, fighting, weights and measures and sacrifices were also amongst his many inventions.

Hermes was a precocious infant and he certainly lost no time in beginning his career of thievery and general mischief. Born in the morning, he climbed out of his crib, took a long walk, and invented the lyre (some attribute this invention to Apollo) from the shell of a tortoise that he had killed after it had crossed his path. In the evening, before it got too dark, he stole fifty of Apollo's oxen, caused them to walk backward so that they could be traced, and hid them in a cave. Hermes slaughtered two of the beasts cooked and ate part of the flesh, burned the rest and nailed their skins to a rock. The story continues that when he arrived home, he lay down quietly in his crib and was found there in the morning with his eyes closed, when Apollo came to make a complaint to the child's mother, Maia. Upon realisation that justice was not to be received from a doting mother, Apollo appealed to Zeus, who compelled his young son to return the cattle. However, when Apollo heard Hermes play the lyre, he was so delighted that he told the child that he could keep the cattle, and became good friends.

Hermes was also said to have stolen Hephaestus' tools, Zeus's sceptre, Poseidon's trident, Ares' sword and a Herculean task, Aphrodite's girdle. Because of his ability, Zeus and the other gods on many important and difficult missions employed Hermes as an ambassador. He led Priam to Achilles, when the old and feeble warrior-king of Troy wanted to fetch the body of his son, Hector. Hermes took the three goddesses, Hera, Aphrodite and Athene to Paris when that Trojan hero had to choose the loveliest of the three to marry. Amongst Hermes' more unpleasant duties, were those of having to tie Ixion to the forever revolving wheel as his punishment for trying to make love to Zeus' queen, and of chaining Prometheus, the fire stealer, to Mount Caucasus because of his continued championship of men and his defiance of the gods.

Hermes rescued Dionysus at birth from the flames and led him to Semele's sister, Ino, the daughter of Cadmus, and of Harmonia of the fatal necklace. He told Odysseus how to resist the magic charms of Circe, and told Calypso, daughter of Atlas, that she would have to give up Odysseus no matter how much she loved him. Hermes also rescued Io, whom Zeus changed into a cow in order to save her from the jealous anger of Hera. With his wonderful music, Hermes put Io's keeper, Argus, the hundred-eyed giant to sleep, then cut off his head.

One of Hermes' most important duties was to ferry the shades or the ghosts of the dead from the upper, to the lower world. This duty was so important, that Hades, himself used to do it.

As a guider of the living as well as the dead, and a friendly god, Hermes spent much of his time with shepherds, to whom he was the patron god, and with nymphs and shepherdesses, by whom he was the father of countless children, including Pan and Daphnis, the inventor of pastoral poetry.

By Chione, the daughter of Daedalion (who killed himself over the untimely death of his daughter), he was the father of Autolycus, the prince of thieves. Chione was killed by Artemis for venturing to suggest that her own beauty might be mentioned in the same breath with that of the goddess.

By Aphrodite, the fickle goddess of love and beauty, he had a son, Hermaphroditus, born on Mount Ida, who united in his name (Hermes and Aphrodite) and his body, the names of his parents and the beauty, masculine and feminine of both. Salmacis, the lovely nymph of the fountain of Salmacis, fell in love with Hermaphroditus one day, when he was still a young boy bathing in her spring. Slamacis seized him, and held him so tight that he could not get away, even if he wanted to. As Hermaphroditus did not respond to her caresses, she prayed to the gods that she might be allowed to keep him forever. The gods granted her plea, joined them both together, and created a being combining and uniting in one body, the characteristics of both sexes.