CLA204H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Homeric Hymns, Caduceus, Thesmophoria
Document Summary
Divine trixter, seems like god with multiple personalities. Name points to his beginning as a single phenomenon. In this way territories were claimed and demarcated. Represents the breaking of boundaries to a new social order, breaking of taboos, initiating a new order. Herm in front of altar (nikon painter, 465 bce) soon everyone in athens had its own herm (hermes) and festivals took place at these herms. When poetry/epic got hold of the hermes character, they transformed the herm into an. And epic role as messenger of the gods. As token of reconciliation, hermes gives apollo a lyre. Hermes also invents fire, fire sticks (to make fire) and sacrifice. Reminds of prometheus so hermes is a rival to prometheus. Hermes domain is thieving, trickery, inventor of musical instruments. Also is the swift messenger of father zeus. Hermes messenger of zeus (attic red-figure lekythos) shows hermes flying down to earth with his staf and his epiphet is argos-slayer.
