Hermes

Hermes (/ˈhɜːrmiːz/; Ancient Greek: Ἑρμῆς) was an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and mythology who served as the herald and messenger of the gods. As the son of Zeus and the Pleiad nymph Maia, Hermes was a multifaceted god who protected travelers, merchants, thieves, and orators while also functioning as a psychopomp who guided souls to the afterlife. Known as "the divine trickster" in works like the Homeric Hymn to Hermes, he could move freely between mortal and divine realms thanks to his winged sandals (talaria). Hermes was associated with numerous symbols including herma stone pillars, the rooster, tortoise, traveler's satchel, winged helmet (petasos), and most importantly, the caduceus—a winged staff with two intertwined snakes. In Roman mythology, many of Hermes's attributes were transferred to Mercury, whose name derives from the Latin merx (merchandise), which forms the root of modern words like "merchant" and "commerce," reflecting his patronage of trade.