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Hermes (pronounced HER-meez) is mainly known as Messenger to the Gods, however according to Greek mythology he was also the Greek god of business, commerce and trade. |
| Legend tells us that he was born to Zeus, King of the Gods, and the goddess Maia. Within hours of his birth, Hermes flew off and "borrowed" the precious cattle which belonged to his half-brother Apollo, hid them where no one could find them, then created the musical instrument the Lute from a tortoise shell and taught himself to play it to perfection, before returning to his crib. Quite impressive for a newborn baby, even a newborn god! | |
| Of course, Apollo quickly found out what had happened and confronted Hermes' parents. Hermes confessed and took Apollo to the cattle, but then played him a tune on his Lute so beautiful that Apollo not only forgave Hermes but also allowed him to keep the cattle! Thereafter the two gods were said to have formed a close friendship. | |
| Whilst Hermes' initial act was, shall we say, questionable, his solution in using a quick mind together with astute social skills also resulted in him being given another title, namely Greek god of diplomacy – a key skill in today's competitive business market. |