Hermes (Mercury) Sightings
- The Odyssey 799 - 599
The ancient Greek writer Homer included many of the gods of Olympus in The Odyssey, the story of the hero Odysseus. Hermes was one of the gods who helped Odysseus return home to Ithaca. Hermes warned Odysseus that the witch Circe would turn him and his men into animals and that he should eat a special herb to protect himself. Hermes also delivered a message from Zeus to the nymph Calypso, ordering her to release Odysseus from her island.
- The Iliad 799 - 599
Homer brings the gods into The Iliad as well, which tells the story of the mythic Trojan War. Most of the gods of Olympus take sides in the human war: Hera, Athena, and Poseidon are rooting for the Greeks, while Aphrodite, Ares, and Apollo fighting for the Trojans. Hermes plays only a small role in the epic poem, guiding the Trojan king to the body of his dead son, Hector in Book 24.
- Oresteia 457
The Oresteia is a trilogy of tragic plays (Agamemnon, Libation Bearers, and Eumenides) by the ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus. These plays are about how Orestes and his sister Electra take revenge on their mother for killing their father. As in any good Greek tragedy, the characters call on the gods for help, and Apollo and Athena become pretty involved in the third play. Hermes is also involved because Orestes wants to use trickery to get his revenge, so he calls upon the trickster god to be his ally.
- The Aeneid 29 - 18
In the Roman poet Virgil's epic poem, Mercury (a.k.a. Hermes) plays his normal messenger role. Here, he delivers messages between Jupiter (a.k.a. Zeus) and Zeus's mortal son Aeneas. See Book 4 for an example.
- The Metamorphoses 2
The Roman poet Ovid collected all kinds of wild stories about the gods The Metamorphoses. Here you'll find myths about Mercury, including the story of how he stole Apollo's sacred cattle.
- Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series 2005
Percy Jackson has run-ins with all of the gods of Olympus, including Hermes. We meet Hermes in the first book, The Lightning Thief, and he's pretty friendly, though maybe not the best father. However, as the series progresses, we find out that one of his mortal sons is a villain.
- God of War 2005 - 2010
The Greek gods make it onto the PlayStation in the God of War video game trilogy. The mortal hero of the games, Kratos, butts heads with the gods of Olympus, including Hermes. In God of War III, Hermes is one of the bosses (albeit a speedy one), and Kratos kills him.