HermesErmes

The Herald and Messenger of the Immortals; the guardian of roads, commerce, invention, cunning and theft; he is the son of Zeus and the nymph, Maia.

Hermes was born on Mount Kyllene (Cyllene) in Arkadia (Arcadia); on the day of his birth he managed to invent the lyre and steal the cattle of Apollon; he was brought before Zeus and was so clever and delightfully cunning that the Immortals forgave him for his audacity and accepted him as one of their favorites; he gave the lyre to Apollon and Apollon returned the favor by allowing Hermes to have limited prophetic powers.

Hermes also created the ram with the Golden Fleece which caused the death of the maiden, Helle, and set the stage for the epic adventures of Iason (Jason) and the Argonauts.

For more detailed information on Hermes I suggest that you consult the Immortals section of this site.

The complete saga of Hermes can be found in the Homeric Hymn to Hermes which can be found at most libraries or can be ordered through the Book Shop on this site which is linked to Amazon.com; I personally recommend the translation of the Homeric Hymns by Apostolos N. Athanassakis, ISBN 0801817927.