Hermes is the god of sheperds, land travel, merchants, measures and weights, literature, athletics and theives. He is also the messenger and ambassador to the gods. He is said to be the son of Zeus and the nympth Maia. Along with being the messenger, another job he had was leading the dead into the underworld and he is credited with creating instruments such as the lyre and the flute.

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Hermes is thought to have had many lovers. His divine lovers were Aphrodite, two underworld goddesses refered to as Brimo and Daeira, Persephone, and many different types of nympths. His many rumored children include Pan, mothered by Dryope; Abderus; Hermanphroditus, mothered by Aphrodite; and Eleusis, mothered by Daeira. Euandros, Daphnis, Kaikos, Saon, and Agreus are all children of Hermes who were mothered by different nympths. There are also many rumors of Hermes having children with different mortal women.

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Hermes has been called very clever and all of the stories that include him are about him using his wits to defeat poweful creatures. In one story it was Hermes who saved Zeus\'s lover, Io, from Argus, the hundred-eyed giant, after the jealous Hera orded Argus to watch over Io. Hermes used his flut to charm the creature and as it slept he cut off its head and released Io. To honor Argus, Hera scattered its eyes onto the tail of a peacock (her sacred bird) - giving the peacock its trademark tail.

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Also, Zeus sent Hermes down to release Odysseus from the nympth Calypso. He used his cleverness to pursuade the nympth to release him from the island where he was kept.