Mercury | Myth, Symbols, & Facts | Britannica

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• Gods and Goddesses - Mercury
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• World History Encyclopedia - Mercury

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Mercury Roman god Ask Anything Homework Help Also known as: Mercurius Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Feb. 12, 2026 •History Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything

Mercury, in Roman religion, god of shopkeepers and merchants, travelers and transporters of goods, and thieves and tricksters. He is commonly identified with the Greek Hermes, the fleet-footed messenger of the gods.

The cult of Mercury is ancient, and tradition has it that his temple on the Aventine Hill in Rome was dedicated in 495 bce. There Mercury was associated with Maia, who became identified as his mother through her association with the Greek Maia, one of the Pleiades, who was the mother of Hermes by Zeus; likewise, because of that Greek connection, Mercury was considered the son of Jupiter. Both Mercury and Maia were honoured in the Mercuralia festival on May 15, the dedication day of Mercury’s temple on the Aventine.

Latin: Mercurius (Show more) On the Web: Mythopedia - Mercury (Feb. 12, 2026) (Show more) See all related content

Mercury is sometimes represented as holding a purse, symbolic of his business functions. Artists, like followers of Roman religion themselves, freely borrowed the attributes of Hermes and portrayed Mercury also wearing winged sandals or a winged cap and carrying a caduceus (staff).

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.