CMLT316 Chapter Notes - Chapter 12: Salmacis, Thriae, Hermaphroditus
3 Jun 2018
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CH 12: Hermes
The Homeric Hymn to Hermes
Zeus and Maia
● Zeus loved the nymph Maia in a cave and she had the baby Hermes (Mercury)
● Baby was born at dawn
● By midday he was playing the lyre
● In the evening he stole the cattle of Apollo
Hermes Invents the Lyre
● Hermes leaves the cave and encounters a tortoise and devises a plan
● He cuts up the tortoise and uses the shell, along with reeds, an ox’s hide, and strings of
sheep gut to make the first seven-stringed lyre
● He tuned the lyre and sang beautiful songs in honor of his father and mother
Hermes Steals Apollo’s Cattle
● Hermes craved meat and devised a plan to steal Apollo’s cattle
● In the night, he cut off from the herd fity head and made them walk backwards while he
walked straight
● He wore sandals of wicker to disguise his tracks
● When an old man working in a luxuriant vineyard noticed Hermes driving the cattle, the
infant god told him not to tell, promising him a good harvest of grapes and much wine
Hermes Makes Sacrifice
● Hermes fed the cows and found a shelter for them
● He gathered some wood and was the first to use dry sticks and by friction kindle a fire
● He skinned and butchered two of the cattle and divided rich parts of the meat into twelve
portions, which he roasted as offerings to the gods
● Following the ritual of sacrifice, he, as one of the gods, could not eat any of the meat but
only savor the aroma
● After destroying all evidence of what he had done, he returned home to his mother
Hermes Reassures Maia
● Hermes got into his cradle and acted like a helpless baby but Maia (his mother) was not
fooled
● Hermes answered her with clever words, assuring her that he was to be the prince of
thieves and that he would win honor and riches for them both among the Olympian gods
Apollo Tracks Down Hermes
● Apollo made inquires of the old man tending the vineyard and the old man told him he
had seen a child driving a herd backwards
● The sign of an eagle with extended wings told Apollo that the thief was a son of Zeus
● The ingenuity of the theft led him to the cave of Maia and Hermes
Apollo Confronts Hermes
● Apollo was mad
● Apollo questioned Hermes about the stolen cattle
● Hermes claimed he did not know a thing since he was only born yesterday
● Apollo was not fooled
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Document Summary
Zeus loved the nymph maia in a cave and she had the baby hermes (mercury) By midday he was playing the lyre. In the evening he stole the cattle of apollo. Hermes leaves the cave and encounters a tortoise and devises a plan. He cuts up the tortoise and uses the shell, along with reeds, an ox"s hide, and strings of sheep gut to make the first seven-stringed lyre. He tuned the lyre and sang beautiful songs in honor of his father and mother. Hermes craved meat and devised a plan to steal apollo"s cattle. In the night, he cut off from the herd fity head and made them walk backwards while he walked straight. He wore sandals of wicker to disguise his tracks. When an old man working in a luxuriant vineyard noticed hermes driving the cattle, the infant god told him not to tell, promising him a good harvest of grapes and much wine.
