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Messenger of the gods: Hermes, Mercury
Greek: Hermes (god)Mercury caduceus.
Latin: Mercury (god)

Messenger of the gods, god of commerce (trade) and thieves; also, the god of science, eloquence, cleverness, travel, and thievery.

Symbols: Winged cap, winged sandals, and a caduceus (a winged staff with two serpents twined around it, said to suggest intercourse) which some say should not be used to represent medicine or medical organizations.



Greek: Asclepius (god)Aesculapius with snake on staff.
Latin: Aesculapius (god)

The Aesculapius staff is considered to be the appropriate symbol of medicine, not the Mercury caduceus. The Hermes or Mercury symbol is incorrectly used by most U.S. medical organizations.




This entry is located in the following units: gods and goddesses from Greek and Latin Myths (page 2) herm-, herme- (page 2)
herm-, herme-
(Greek: Hermes, the son of Zeus and Maia, the god of commerce and messenger of the gods in Greek mythology; identified by the Romans as Mercury; however, some of the words in this unit come from Hermes tris megistos, Hermes Trismegistus, literally, "Hermes, Thrice the Greatest" referring to the Egyptian god Thoth, who was identified with the Greek god Hermes, of science and arts)