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This article is about the Roman god. For other uses, see Mercury (disambiguation).
"Alipes" redirects here. For the centipede genus, see Alipes (centipede). Centipedes (from Latin prefix centi-, "hundred" and Greek ποδός podos, " Foot " are A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic
Mercury by 17th-century Flemish sculptor Artus Quellinus, identified by his hat, drawstring purse, caduceus, winged sandals, cock and goat (Amsterdam Town Hall, now the Royal Palace)
Mercury by 17th-century Flemish sculptor Artus Quellinus, identified by his hat, drawstring purse, caduceus, winged sandals, cock and goat (Amsterdam Town Hall, now the Royal Palace)

In Roman mythology, Mercury (associated with the Greek deity Hermes) (pronounced /ˈmɝkjəri/, Latin: Mercurius listen (help·info)) was a messenger, [1] and a god of trade, profit and commerce, the son of Maia Maiestas and Jupiter. The terms Fleming and Flemings ( Vlaming and Vlamingen in Dutch) denote respectively a person and people and the Flemings or Artus Quellinus also known as Artus (Arnoldus Quellijn, Artus I Quellinus or Artus Quellinus the Elder ( Antwerp, August 30 1609 The caduceus (/kəˈdjuːsiəs/ -ʃəs -ˈduː- κηρύκειον in Greek) or wand of Hermes is typically depicted as a short herald's staff Roman mythology, or more appropriately Latin mythology, refers to the mythological beliefs of the Italic people inhabiting the region of Latium and its Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance Hermes ( Greek,, ˈhɝmiːz in Greek mythology, is the Olympian god of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them of Shepherds and Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Maia (/ˈmeɪə/ in Greek mythology, was the eldest of the Pleiades, the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione. In Roman mythology, Jupiter was the king of the gods and the god of Sky and Thunder. His name is related to the Latin word merx ("merchandise"; compare merchant, commerce, etc. ). In his earliest forms, he appears to have been related to the Etruscan deity Turms, but most of his characteristics and mythology were stollen from the analogous Greek deity, Hermes. The Etruscans were a people of unknown origin living in Northern Italy, who were eventually integrated into Roman culture and politically became part of the Roman Republic

Mercury has influenced the name of a number of things in a variety of scientific fields, such as the planet Mercury, and the element mercury. Mercury (ˈmɜrkjʊri also called quicksilver or hydrargyrum, is a Chemical element with the symbol Hg ( Latinized hydrargyrum The word mercurial is commonly used to refer to something or someone erratic, volatile or unstable, derived from Mercury's swift flights from place to place.

Contents

Worship

Mercury did not appear among the numinous di indigetes of early Roman religion. Numen ("presence" plural numina) is a Latin term for the power of either a deity or a spirit that is present in places and objects in the In Georg Wissowa 's terminology the di indigetes ("indigenous gods" were a group of Roman gods goddesses and spirits not adopted from other mythologies as opposed Ancient Roman religion encompasses the collection of Beliefs and Rituals practised in Ancient Rome in the form of Cult practices Rather, he subsumed the earlier Dei Lucrii as Roman religion was syncretized with Greek religion during the time of the Roman Republic, starting around the 4th century BC. In early Roman mythology, the Dei Lucrii were early gods of wealth profit commerce and trade Syncretism consists of the attempt to reconcile disparate or contradictory beliefs often while melding practices of various schools of thought The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the The 4th century BC started the first day of 400 BC and ended the last day of 301 BC. From the beginning, Mercury had essentially the same aspects as Hermes, wearing winged shoes talaria and a winged petasos, and carrying the caduceus, a herald's staff with two entwined snakes that was Apollo's gift to Hermes. Hermes ( Greek,, ˈhɝmiːz in Greek mythology, is the Olympian god of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them of Shepherds and Talaria are winged sandals a typical icon of the Greek Messenger God Hermes ( Roman equivalent Mercury) A petasos is a style of Hat, usually made of wool Felt, Leather or Straw, with a broad floppy brim The caduceus (/kəˈdjuːsiəs/ -ʃəs -ˈduː- κηρύκειον in Greek) or wand of Hermes is typically depicted as a short herald's staff He was often accompanied by a cockerel, herald of the new day, a ram or goat, symbolizing fertility, and a tortoise, referring to Mercury's legendary invention of the lyre from a tortoise shell. A rooster (also called a cock or chanticleer) is a male Chicken ( Gallus gallus) the female being called a Hen. Fertility is the natural capability of giving life As a measure "Fertility Rate" is the number of children born per couple person or population The lyre is a stringed musical instrument well known for its use in Classical Antiquity and later

Like Hermes, he was also a messenger of the gods and a god of trade, particularly of the grain trade. Mercury was also considered a god of abundance and commercial success, particularly in Gaul. Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western He was also, like Hermes, the Romans' psychopomp, leading newly-deceased souls to the afterlife. Many religious belief systems have a particular spirit, Angel, or Deity whose responsibility is to escort newly-deceased souls to the Afterlife Additionally, Ovid wrote that Mercury carried Morpheus' dreams from the valley of Somnus to sleeping humans. Publius Ovidius Naso ( March 20, 43 BC – 17 AD was a Roman poet known to the English -speaking world as Ovid who wrote on many topics including Morpheus ( Greek: Μορφέας Μορφεύς, "he who forms shapes moulds" from the Greek morphe) is the Greek In Greek mythology, Hypnos (Ὕπνος was the personification of sleep the Roman equivalent was known as Somnus. [1]

Mercury's temple in the Circus Maximus, between the Aventine and Palatine hills, was built in 495 BC. The Circus Maximus ( Latin for greatest circus, in Italian Circo Massimo) is an ancient Hippodrome and mass entertainment The Aventine Hill is one of the seven hills on which ancient Rome was built The Palatine Hill ( Latin: Collis Palatium or Mons Palatinus) is the centermost of the Seven Hills of Rome Events By place Roman Republic A Temple is built on the Circus Maximus, between the Aventine and Palatine This was a fitting place to worship a swift god of trade and travel, since it was a major center of commerce as well as a racetrack. Since it stood between the plebeian stronghold on the Aventine and the patrician center on the Palatine, it also emphasized the role of Mercury as a mediator. Plebs were the general body of landowners of Roman Citizens in Ancient Rome. The term " patrician " originally referred to a group of elite families in Ancient Rome, including both their natural and Meditation is a mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the conditioned "thinking" mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness

Because Mercury was not one of the early deities surviving from the Roman Kingdom, he was not assigned a flamen ("priest"), but he did have a major festival on May 15, the Mercuralia. The Roman Kingdom ( Latin: Regnum Romanum) was the monarchical Government of the city of Rome A flamen was a name given to a Priest assigned to a state-supported god or goddess in Roman religion. Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the Mercuralia is a Roman celebration known also as the "Festival of Mercury" During the Mercuralia, merchants sprinkled water from his sacred well near the Porta Capena on their heads. The Porta Capena was a gate in the Servian Wall near the Caelian Hill, in Rome, formerly a sacred forest where Numa Pompilius and Egeria

Syncretism

A three-headed image of a Celtic deity interpreted as Mercury and now believed to represent Lugus.
A three-headed image of a Celtic deity interpreted as Mercury and now believed to represent Lugus. Celtic mythology is the Mythology of Celtic polytheism, apparently the Religion of the Iron Age Celts Like other Iron Age Lugus was a deity apparently worshipped widely in antiquity in the Celtic -speaking world

When they described the gods of Celtic and Germanic tribes, rather than considering them separate deities, the Romans interpreted them as local manifestations or aspects of their own gods, a cultural trait called the interpretatio Romana. Interpretatio graeca is a Latin term for the common tendency of Ancient Greek writers to equate foreign divinities to members of their own pantheon Mercury in particular was reported as becoming extremely popular among the nations the Roman Empire conquered; Julius Caesar wrote of Mercury being the most popular god in Britain and Gaul, regarded as the inventor of all the arts. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial This is probably because in the Roman syncretism, Mercury was equated with the Celtic god Lugus, and in this aspect was commonly accompanied by the Celtic goddess Rosmerta. Syncretism consists of the attempt to reconcile disparate or contradictory beliefs often while melding practices of various schools of thought Celtic mythology is the Mythology of Celtic polytheism, apparently the Religion of the Iron Age Celts Like other Iron Age Lugus was a deity apparently worshipped widely in antiquity in the Celtic -speaking world In Gallo-Roman religion, Rosmerta was a goddess of fertility and abundance her attributes being those of plenty such as the Cornucopia. Although Lugus may originally have been a deity of light or the sun (though this is disputed), similar to the Roman Apollo, his importance as a god of trade and commerce made him more comparable to Mercury, and Apollo was instead equated with the Celtic deity Belenus. In Celtic mythology, Belenus (also Belinus, Belenos, Belinos, Belinu, Belanu, Bellinus, Belus, [1]

Mercury was also strongly associated with the Germanic god Wotan; 1st-century Roman writer Tacitus identifies the two as being the same, and describes him as the chief god of the Germanic peoples. Germanic paganism refers to the religious beliefs of the Germanic peoples preceding Christianization. gem *Wōđanaz or gem *Wōđinaz is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of a god of Germanic paganism, known as non [[Óðinn]] Publius (or Gaius) Cornelius Tacitus (ca 56 &ndash ca 117 was a senator and a Historian of the Roman Empire.

In Celtic areas, Mercury was sometimes portrayed with three heads or faces, and at Tongeren, Belgium, a statuette of Mercury with three phalli was found, with the extra two protruding from his head and replacing his nose; this was probably because the number 3 was considered magical, making such statues good luck and fertility charms. Tongeren ( French: Tongres, German: Tongern) is a City and municipality located in the province of Limburg The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those The word phallus can refer to an erect Penis, or to an object shaped like a penis ---- In mathematics Three is the first odd Prime number, and the second smallest prime The Romans also made widespread use of small statues of Mercury, probably drawing from the ancient Greek tradition of hermae markers. For the piano piece by Iannis Xenakis see Herma (Xenakis. In ancient Greece, before his role as protector of merchants and travelers

Mercury gave birth to many modern words, mainly of Latin and/or French origin, such as: Merci, Mercenary & Merchant. (This was recently quoted on BBC Radio 2's "Factoids")

Mercury and modern occultism

In occult circles Mercury is given primary rulership over things magical. This may in part be due to Mercury's association with Odhinn by way of the days of the week.

The name Wednesday comes from the Middle English Wednes dei, which is from Old English Wēdnes dæg, meaning the day of the Germanic god Woden (Wodan) who was a god of the Anglo-Saxons in England until about the 7th century. Wednesday is the fourth Day of the week in most western countries Middle English is the name given by Historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of Wōden is a god in Anglo-Saxon paganism, together with Norse Odin representing a development of a Proto-Germanic god * Wōdanaz For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The 7th century is the period from 601 to 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. Wēdnes dæg is like the Old Norse Oðinsdagr ("Odin's day"), which is an early translation of the Latin dies Mercurii ("Mercury's day"), though Mercury (the messenger of the gods) and Woden (the king of the Germanic gods) are not equivalent in most regards. Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age Odin (ˈoʊdɪn from Old Norse Óðinn) is considered the chief god in Norse paganism. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. "Alipes" redirects here For the Centipede Genus, see Alipes (centipede. Odin is the magical god, and also the head of the Norse pantheon. Odin (ˈoʊdɪn from Old Norse Óðinn) is considered the chief god in Norse paganism.

Names and epithets

Mercury, known to the Romans as Mercurius and occasionally in earlier writings as Merqurius, Mirqurios or Mircurios, had a number of epithets representing different aspects or roles, or representing syncretisms with non-Roman deities. An epithet (from Greek ἐπίθετον - epitheton, neut of ἐπίθετος - epithetos, "attributed added" is a The most common and significant of these epithets included:

A Gaulish depiction of Mercury, now at the Carnavalet Museum in Paris.
A Gaulish depiction of Mercury, now at the Carnavalet Museum in Paris.


References

  1. ^ a b Littleton, C. Scott (Ed. ) (2002). Mythology: The Illustrated Anthology of World Myth and Storytelling (pp. 195, 251, 253, 258, 292). London: Duncan Baird Publishers. ISBN 1-904292-01-1.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Green, Miranda J. (1992). Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend (pp. 148–149). London: Thames and Hudson. ISBN 0-500-01516-3.
  3. ^ Alarcão, Jorge de (1988). Roman Portugal. Volume I: Introduction (p. 93). Warminster: Aris and Phillips.
  4. ^ Espérandieu, E. (1931). Recueil Général des Bas-relief, Statues et Bustes de la Germanie Romaine. Paris and Brussels.
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