Mercury (mythology)
Mercury, the son of Jupiter and Maia. In Roman mythology he is the messenger of Jupiter. He is represented usually as an active young mail wearing a winged hat and a pair of winged sandals. Mercury was a divinity of many natures. He was the god of darkness; hence the protecting divinity of thieves. He was by turns the god of agriculture, of science, and of commerce. He was also the patron of art and the protector of the herdsman, the traveler, and the athlete. Mercury was charged with conveying the shades of the departed to Hades. His Greek counterpart is Hermes.
