The Symbolism Of Mercury Hermes In Homer's Odyssey

Hermes/Mercury Hermes is the son of Zeus and Maia, daughter of Atlas. In literature, he was connected to the protection of cattle and sheep as well as vegetation. He is also the messenger of the gods, transporter of the dead, protector of travelers and a god of dreams. Hermes was a patron of music and the god of eloquence. He was described as graceful and swift in motion, having worn winged sandals. He also had wings on his hat and on his magic wand. He became Zeus's Messenger. He is described as the shrewdest and most cunning of all the Gods. He is connected to treasure and good luck. His bird was the vulture and the dog as his animal. His sacred number was four. Hermes is the messenger of the gods, swift and graceful, but also very cunning and lucky. An allusion to Hermes by an author could be the author trying to emphasize that the character is a traveler and doesn’t stay in one place

long. The author could also be trying to emphasize that the character is fast or graceful, like Hermes with his winged sandals and hat. The character may be mischievous and a trickster, like Hermes is known to be.
Hestia/Vesta Hestia is sister to Zeus, Hades and Poseidon, daughter to Cronus and Rhea, and is the goddess of the hearth. She is the symbol of the home. Every meal began and ended with an offering to her and every newborn child must be carried by her before being received by the family. She, like Athena and Artemis, was a virgin goddess, turning down the hands of Apollo, Poseidon and Zeus and swearing to remain a maiden forever. She does not have a distinct personality and does not play a big role in mythology. Each city had a public hearth sacred to her where the fire was never allowed to go out. Hestia is the goddess of the hearth and the home. Therefore, an allusion to her could be the author trying to portray that the character is a warm, caring, welcoming person. When thinking of the home and hearth, one may think of the mother caring for the family. Although Hestia was a virgin goddess, the character could also be seen as a maternal figure.
Persephone Persephone was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. One day, when gathering flowers, she was noticed by Hades and taken by him to the underworld. Zeus told Hades to release her and Hades did but before she left, he asked her to eat a pomegranate seed. Therefore, she was unable to be totally free and returned for part of the year to be Hades’s queen. Her story is used to explain the change in seasons and the ability to grow crops. Persephone was happy and innocent before she went to the underworld with Hades. Her abduction changed her. An allusion to Persephone could mean that the character was young and innocent or represent the seasons. Persephone being happy (with her mom) could represent the spring or summer seasons while her time with Hades could represent winter or despair and unhappiness. Her abduction could be related to a loss of innocence.
Poseidon/Neptune Poseidon is the brother of Zeus and Hades, son of Cronus and Rhea, and god of the sea and water.

He is also the god of earthquakes and horses. His weapon was a trident. His wife was Amphitrite, granddaughter of the Titan Ocean. He gave the first horse to man and was commonly called the "Earth shaker." Being the father of horses, it is said that Poseidon fathered Pegasus. Poseidon is worshipped at Colonus and Attica, despite losing control of Attica to Athena. He is known to have mood swings. He was commonly shown with the trident, a dolphin or a tuna. Poseidon is god of the sea. Therefore, if there was an allusion to Poseidon, the author could be trying to emphasize the characters relation to water. He is also the god of earthquakes, so an allusion to him could emphasize the character is powerful, has the ability to create chaos or has the ability to move things (make an impact). Poseidon is also Zeus’s brother and doesn’t have as much power to him. An allusion to him could portray the character as someone who is strong, but has less power or is second in

command.
River Styx The River Styx, believed to wrap nine times around the underworld, separates the living world from the dead. The river gets its name from the Greek word “stugein”, meaning hate. The river was well respected and sworn upon to make life binding oaths. If the oath was broken, there would be harsh punishments. According to mythology, the river was traveled on by Charon, who brings the dead into the underworld. However, only souls that have been properly buried and that have a coin in their mouth are allowed to cross the river in his boat. The River Styx is sworn upon to make the most serious of oaths. If the oath was broken, there were to be punishments. If an author alluded to the River, he or she could be trying to emphasize the importance or severity of a promise being made.
Also, if an author alluded to the River Styx, the author could be trying to use the character or object as an obstacle or barrier between two different worlds, like how the River separates the world and the underworld. It is a tough enough barrier to prevent many people from getting across.
Zeus/Jupiter Zeus was the god of the sky, the Rain-god and the Cloud gatherer, as well as the leader of the twelve Olympians. He became a power that was greater than that of all the other gods. His weapon was the thunderbolt; he would throw it at anyone who upset him. He could cause thunder, lighting and storms on a whim. According to mythology, he often descends to Earth, having fallen in love with one woman or another, and uses an array of tricks to disguise his affairs from wife, Hera.

Zeus was the son of the Titan, Cronus/Saturn. Cronus ruled over the other Titans but Zeus eventually defeated him and seized power for himself. According to the Romans, after Zeus took the throne, Cronus fled to Italy and brought the Golden Age. As leader, Zeus is in charge of making sure that each Olympian behaves and is in charge of punishing those who do not as well as be a mediator in settling disputes.

He is seen as a personification of nature and changing seasons and a patron of princes. He protects the people and watches over their welfare. Zeus is believed to have created man and watches over them, rewarding them when they do good and punishing them when they’re bad. Zeus is god of the sky and the leader of all the Greek gods. He is said to have had many affairs with mortal women. An author that alludes to Zeus could be trying to show that a character is strong, is a good leader or has immense power. Like Zeus, he could control others and the power to solve conflicts. The character could be a representation of absolute power, like of a king who presides and watches over all the people. Or the allusion could be a representation of nature itself. However, the character could also be someone who has too much power and therefore, strays from the norms to do whatever he pleases, just because he can. The character could also be thought of as dangerous and tricky thanks to Zeus’s multitude of love affairs.