Winged Sandals of Hermes
The magical winged sandals worn by Hermes enabling flight, later lent to Perseus for his quest to slay the Gorgon Medusa.
The Meaning of Winged Sandals of Hermes
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
Hermes
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. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Shoes of Hermes
💭 conceptArtefact
The winged sandals of the messenger god that granted the power of flight and superhuman speed
Perseus and Medusa
💭 conceptNarrative
The hero's quest to slay the mortal Gorgon and his ingenious use of divine gifts to accomplish the impossible
Kibisis
💭 conceptArtefact
The magical satchel given to Perseus to safely contain the severed head of Medusa
God of Messengers
💭 conceptMessages, travel, boundaries, commerce, thieves
Hermes serves as divine messenger and psychopomp, escorting both words and souls between worlds.
Armour of Achilles
💭 conceptArtefact
Two sets of divinely forged armour worn by the greatest Greek warrior, both crafted by Hephaestus
Helm of Darkness
💭 conceptartifact, invisibility
The cap of invisibility crafted by the Cyclopes for Hades during the Titanomachy, later borrowed by Athena and Perseus for their respective needs.
Fleece of Chrysomallus
💭 conceptArtefact
The golden fleece of the divine winged ram, the object of Jason's legendary quest to Colchis
Bellerophon and Chimera
💭 conceptNarrative
The hero's aerial battle against a fire-breathing monster while riding the winged horse Pegasus
Trident of Poseidon
💭 conceptArtefact
The three-pronged weapon of the sea god, capable of causing earthquakes and summoning storms
God of the Underworld
💭 conceptDeath, the dead, underground riches
Hades governs the realm of the dead, ruling over every soul that crosses the river Styx.
Belt of Hippolyte
💭 conceptartifact
Magical war girdle given to the Amazon queen by her father Ares, conferring martial supremacy on its wearer.
God of the Sun
💭 conceptSun, light, truth, cattle of the sun
Helios drives the sun chariot across the sky each day, and Apollo later inherited many solar associations.