Winged Sandals of Hermes
conceptThe magical winged sandals worn by Hermes enabling flight, later lent to Perseus for his quest to slay the Gorgon Medusa.
The Myth
The winged sandals, called talaria in Latin, were the signature attribute of Hermes, enabling him to travel between Olympus, the mortal world, and the Underworld as messenger of the gods. Hermes wore them from birth — he was precociously active, stealing Apollo's sacred cattle on the very day he was born in a cave on Mount Cyllene. The sandals allowed him to escort souls to the Underworld as Psychopompos and to deliver Zeus's commands with impossible speed. When Perseus was tasked with slaying the Gorgon Medusa, Athena and Hermes provided essential equipment: the winged sandals for flight, the kibisis bag to carry the severed head, and the cap of Hades for invisibility. After beheading Medusa, Perseus used the sandals to escape her immortal sisters Stheno and Euryale.
Parents
Symbols
Fun Fact
The winged sandal is the most enduring logo in commercial history. Goodyear's winged foot, FTD florists' Mercury figure, and most obviously Nike's swoosh all derive from Hermes' sandals. The concept of speed-through-wings on footwear runs straight from Mount Cyllene to every running shoe commercial — Hermes would have been history's most sponsored athlete.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
Explore Further
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