Mercury (mythology)

Mercury is an important god in ancient Roman stories and beliefs. He is one of the twelve main gods in the Roman pantheon, known as the Dii Consentes. Mercury is the god of many things, including travel, trade, communication, luck, and clever tricks. He also helps guide people’s souls to the place where people go after they pass away.

In the stories, Mercury is the son of Maia, who is the daughter of the powerful Titan Atlas, and Jupiter, the king of the gods. Mercury has a lot in common with the Greek god Hermes, and both gods are often shown holding a special staff called a caduceus, which has two snakes wrapped around it. This staff was given to them by Apollo, another god, and it became a symbol of their powers.

Etymology

The name "Mercury" might come from Latin words related to trading and goods, like "merx" meaning merchandise. It could also be linked to an ancient word for "boundary" or "border," showing his role in connecting different worlds. This idea ties to old languages and words from many places.

History

Mercury was not originally part of early Roman religion. He became important later when Roman beliefs mixed with Greek beliefs around the 4th century BC. He was known as one of the "New Gods" who came from Greece. Mercury shared many traits with the Greek god Hermes, wearing winged shoes and a winged hat, and carrying a staff with two snakes called the caduceus.

Mercury was the god of messages, trade, and travel. He was also known as a trickster and the protector of thieves. People saw him as a bringer of good luck and success, especially in places like Gaul. He was also believed to guide people who had passed away to the afterlife. The writer Ovid told stories of Mercury sending dreams to people who were asleep. Evidence from Pompeii shows that Mercury was one of the most loved Roman gods. Images of him appeared on early Roman coins.

Syncretism

The Romans often saw gods from other cultures as versions of their own gods. Mercury became very popular in places like Britain and Gaul, which were part of the Roman Empire. He was seen as the inventor of many arts. The Romans linked Mercury to a Celtic god named Lugus, who was important for trade. They also connected Mercury to the Germanic god Wotan. This connection is why we have days like Wednesday in English and Mercredi in French.

Names and epithets

Mercury was called Mercurius by the Romans. He also had many other names that showed different parts of his life or mixed him with gods from other places. Some of his most well-known names included:

• Mercurius Artaios, mixing Mercury with a Celtic god named Artaios, who was linked to bears and hunting and lived in Beaucroissant, France.
• Mercurius Arvernus, blending the Celtic god Arvernus with Mercury. Arvernus was honored in the Rhineland, maybe as a special god for the Arverni tribe, but not in the Auvergne region of central France.
• Mercurius Cimbrianus, joining Mercury with a god of the Cimbri people, sometimes thought to be Odin.
• Mercurius Cissonius, combining Mercury with the Celtic god Cissonius, known from places between Cologne, Germany and Saintes, France.
• Mercurius Esibraeus, mixing the Iberian god Esibraeus with Mercury. Esibraeus was found only in an old writing in Medelim, Portugal, and might be the same as Banda Isibraiegus from Bemposta.
• Mercurius Gebrinius, blending Mercury with the Celtic or Germanic god Gebrinius, known from an old stone in Bonn, Germany.
• Mercurius Moccus, from the Celtic god Moccus, who was linked to Mercury and connected to boar-hunting, found in Langres, France.
• Mercurius Sobrius ("Mercury the Teetotaler"), mixing Mercury with a Carthaginian god of trade.
• Mercurius Visucius, joining the Celtic god Visucius with Mercury, known from an old writing in Stuttgart, Germany. Visucius was mainly honored in the borders of the empire in Gaul and Germany. Sometimes, he was also linked to the Roman god Mars.

In ancient literature

In Virgil's Aeneid, Mercury helps Aeneas remember his important task to start the city of Rome. In Ovid's Fasti, Mercury is asked to take a girl named Larunda to a faraway place. But along the way, Mercury and Larunda grow close to each other. Later, they have two children together who become known as the Lares, special invisible household gods.

Temple

Mercury's temple in Rome was located in the Circus Maximus, between the Aventine and Palatine Hills. It was built in 495 BC during a time of disagreement between the senators and the common people of Rome.

The temple was an important place for worshipping Mercury, the god of trade and travel, because it was near a busy marketplace and a racetrack. Its location between the areas where different groups of people lived showed Mercury's role as a bringer together of different sides. The temple was dedicated on May 15, 495 BC.

Worship

Mercury was not one of the oldest gods from the early days of Rome, so he did not have a special priest called a flamen. But he did have his own big celebration on May 15th, called the Mercuralia. During this festival, merchants would splash water from a sacred well near the Porta Capena on their heads.

In popular culture

See also: Planets in astrology § Mercury

Mercury appeared in the first published comic book story called Mercury in the 20th Century by Jack Kirby. This story was in a comic called Red Raven Comics in 1940.

In the United States, a coin called the Mercury dime was made from 1916 to 1945. It shows a winged woman named Liberty, not the god Mercury. But because she looks a bit like Mercury, the coin was named after him. The coin has a special hat called a Phrygian cap instead of Mercury’s winged hat.

The United States Navy uses a special airplane called the E-6B. It is named after the god Mercury because it helps with communication.