Mercury: The Roman God

According to mythology, Mercury, the Roman god was a messenger. He supervised all trade and commerce and bestowed profit or loss, according to each person's worth. Mercury is believed to be the son of Maia Maiestas or Ops and Jupiter. His name is derived out the Latin term 'merx', which translates to merchandise. He enjoyed a place among the Etruscan and Greek pantheon too. He is considered a relative of the Etruscan deity Turms and Greek deity Hermes. Mercury has had a profound influence on science, with a planet and intriguing element named after him. The epithet 'mercurial', also associated with Mercury, the Roman god, refers to erratic or unstable. This epithet is derived from Mercury's ability to fly swiftly from place to place.

Interesting Facts on The Roman God Mercury

Mercury, the messenger god, was not among the di indigetes of the ancient Roman religion. He was born of the synchronization of the Greek and Roman religions, during the 4th century BC. He is described as the one who sports winged shoes or talaria and winged petasos. He is depicted carrying a herald's staff or caduceus, highlighting entwined snakes. This was supposed to be a gift from Apollo to Hermes.

Mercury is depicted with a cockerel, as herald of the new day, and a ram, as the symbol of fertility. He is also shown with a tortoise shell lyre, that he is believed to have invented himself. Mercury was worshiped as the icon of grain trade. He was considered the messenger of the gods, who descended to distribute the bounty of commercial success from time to time. Mercury was also revered as the psychopomp or the one who led deceased souls to the realms of afterlife.

The Mercury Temple between the Aventine and Palatine hill range, in the Circus Maximus, was built in 495 BC. The site was symbolic of the trade route that passed through the region and the associated commercial activity. Here, the swift god of trade and travel was also awarded the attribute of 'mediator', since the site marked the plebeian stronghold. The Mercury temple was not taken care of by a priest, like in most other temples, since Mercury was never assigned a flamen or priest from the very beginning. In ancient Greece and Rome, merchants celebrated the festival of Mercuralia on May 15, every year.

Julius Caesar declared Mercury as the most popular and prominent god in Britain and Gaul. Mercury is also commonly associated with fine arts. He was previously equated with Lugus, the Celtic god and hence, there are a number of depictions that show Mercury alongside Rosmerta, the Celtic goddess and Lugus' consort. Mercury has also been equated with Belenus, another Celtic deity and the Germanic god Wotan. The Celtics worshiped Mercury as the great one with three heads. He was considered the god of magic, good luck and fertility.

Mercury was worshiped as:

• Mercurius Artaios, the god of hunting in Beaucroissant, France.
• Mercurius Arvernus, the principle deity of the Arverni tribe.
• Mercurius Cissonius throughout Cologne, Germany.
• Mercurius Esibraeus in Portugal.

The Roman god, Mercury was revered as the god of travelers and roads. He was associated with music and eloquence, depicted as a youthful lad playing on the lyre or shepherd's flute. As the bestower of fertility, he was the chief god of the riotous festivities of Hermaea, celebrated in his honor.