Mercury
The smallest and fastest planet in the solar system, named after Mercury, the Roman messenger god identified with the Greek Hermes, because of its rapid orbital speed
The Meaning of Mercury
The planet Mercury is named after Mercury, the Roman messenger god identified with the Greek Hermes. It is the closest planet to the Sun and has the shortest orbital period of any planet in the solar system, completing a full orbit in just eighty-eight Earth days. The ancient Greeks called it Hermes because of its speed — it appears to dart rapidly across the sky near the horizon, never straying far from the Sun, like a swift messenger on an urgent errand. Hermes was the fastest of the Olympian gods, wearing winged sandals and a winged cap that enabled him to travel instantly between the realms of gods, mortals, and the dead. He was the patron of travellers, merchants, and thieves — all people who moved quickly and cleverly through the world. The planet Mercury's rapid movement was noted by the Babylonians, who called it Nabu, and by the Egyptians, who associated it with Thoth. The element mercury (quicksilver) was also named after the god because of its liquid fluidity and rapid movement. The planet, the element, and the day Wednesday (Mercredi in French) all preserve this god's name.
Parents
None recorded
Symbols
Fun Fact
Mercury the planet, mercury the element, and Wednesday the day of the week all take their names from the same swift-footed messenger god
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
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