Mercurius

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	A common epithet of Mercurius was ''Bonus Mercurius'' very similar to ''optimus.''<ref>See Brouwer, Bona Dea, p.246.</ref>		A common epithet of Mercurius was ''Bonus Mercurius'' very similar to ''optimus.''<ref>See Brouwer, Bona Dea, p.246.</ref>
−	When ''Mercurius'' became identified with ''Hermes'', he took on the duties of messenger of the Gods, ''Psychopompus'' who guides the souls of the dead through the [[Underworld]], and God of sleep and dreams. He also became God of thieves and trickery, owing to a trick he had played on ''[[Apollo]]'' by stealing and hiding the Sun God's cattle. His serpent-twined staff (two serpents), the ''caduceus'', was originally a magician's wand for wealth (and is often confused with the "rod of [[Asclepius]]", entwined with a single serpent) but became identified later as a herald's staff. But ''Mercurius'' has many aspects, attributes, names and epithets...	+	''Mercurius'' has many aspects, attributes, names and epithets...
	==References==		==References==
	<references/>		<references/>
	[[Category:Roman Gods]]		[[Category:Roman Gods]]

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Revision as of 05:35, 24 April 2009

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Mercurius is the God of commerce. The guild of merchants honored Mercurius at his temple near the Circus Maximus on his festival, Mercuralia, on May 15. They also sprinkled themselves and their merchandise with sacred water in a ceremony at the Capena Gate.

A common epithet of Mercurius was Bonus Mercurius very similar to optimus.^[1]

Mercurius has many aspects, attributes, names and epithets...

References

1. ↑ See Brouwer, Bona Dea, p.246.