Hermes

Hermes was born in a cave on Mount Cyllene and proved himself a prodigy of cunning from his first day. Within hours of birth, he crept out of his cradle, stole fifty cattle from Apollo, and invented the lyre from a tortoise shell. When confronted, the infant Hermes charmed his way out of punishment by gifting the lyre to Apollo.

As messenger of the gods, Hermes could travel freely between Olympus, the mortal world, and the underworld. He wore winged sandals and a winged cap, and carried the caduceus — a staff entwined with two serpents. He guided the souls of the dead to the underworld and served as diplomat among the gods.

Hermes was also the god of boundaries and transitions, of roads and travelers. Herms — stone pillars with his head — stood at crossroads throughout Greece. He was patron of commerce and eloquence, but also of trickery and thieves, embodying the Greek understanding that cleverness could be used for good or ill.