Source edition
Anonymous. Hesiod, The Homeric Hymns and Homerica. Evelyn-White, Hugh G., editor. London: William Heinmann; New York: The Macmillan Co., 1914.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA (per Perseus's terms)
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
The "Homeric Hymn to Hermes" is a narrative poem that depicts how the newly born, mischievous, and cunning god Hermes establishes his divine status and privileges among the Olympian gods. On the very day of his birth, Hermes invents the lyre from a tortoise shell and devises a clever plot to steal the sacred cattle of his half-brother, Apollo, by disguising their tracks. Enraged by the theft, Apollo tracks the newborn to his cave in Mount Cyllene, where Hermes pretends to be an innocent infant, leading Apollo to drag him before Zeus for judgment. Although Hermes artfully proclaims his innocence before their father, Zeus orders him to return the cattle. In the end, Hermes captivates Apollo by playing his newly invented lyre and singing beautifully. The two gods reconcile by exchanging the lyre for Apollo's cattle-herding whip, and after Hermes invents the panpipes, he receives further honors, including a golden wand and the role of messenger, cementing an immortal friendship between them.