Hermes, Messenger of the Gods

Hermes was the swift-footed messenger of the Olympians, conductor of souls to the underworld, and patron of travellers, merchants, thieves, and orators. Born on Mount Cyllene, he stole Apollo's cattle on his first day of life and invented the lyre before sundown. Bridging worlds — divine and mortal, living and dead — Hermes was the god of every threshold and every crossing, and his caduceus remains one of the most recognised symbols of communication and commerce in the world.