Hermes

The fleet-footed messenger with wings on his heels and cap symbolizes fast delivery. However, Hermes was neither originally winged nor a messenger - that role was reserved for the rainbow goddess Iris (Medusa's cousin and the daughter of Thaumys and Elektra). Hermes was, instead, clever, tricky, a thief, and, with his awakening or sleep conferring wand (rhabdos), the original sandman whose descendants include a major Greek hero and a noisy, fun-loving god.

Before Zeus married Hera, Maia (a daughter of the second generation Titan Atlas, who was a son of the Titan Iapetos and Okeanos' daughter Klymene) bore him a son, Hermes. Like Heracels, Hermes showed amazing skill in early years. He escaped his cradle, wandered outside, and walked from Mt. Cyllene to Pieria where he found Apollo's cattle. His natural character was to steal them. He even had a smart plan. First, he padded their feet to soften the sound, and then he drove fifty of them backwards in order to confuse search. He stopped at the Alpheios River to make the first sacrifice to the gods. To do so, he had to invent fire, or at least how to fire up it. Then he selected two of Apollo's herd, and after killing them, divided each into six parts to keep in touch with the twelve Olympians. There were, at the time, only eleven. The remaining part was for him.

After completing his new ceremony, Hermes went back home. On his way, he found a tortoise that he took inside his house. Using leather strips from Apollo's herd as string, he created the first lyre. He was playing the new musical instrument when Apollo found him.

Noticing the material of the string, Apollo was angry with Hermes for stealing his cattle and smart enough not to believe Hermes when he protested his innocence. Bringing together seemed impossible until the father of both gods stepped in. To make amends, Hermes gave his half-brother the tortoise shell lyre. Later, Hermes and Apollo made another exchange. Apollo gave his half-brother the Caduceus in exchange for a flute Hermes invented.

Zeus realized he had to keep his smart, cattle-rustling son out of mischief, so he put him to work as god of trade and business. He gave him power over birds of sign, dogs, boars, flocks of sheep, and lions. He provided him with golden sandals, and made him messenger (angelos) to Hades.