The idea of lerines ,seems to hare been developed from two origins—the ancient Pelasgie or Arcadian goad sliepb.brds, subsequently considered the patron of barter, of commerce, without any trace of intellectual qualities; and the Phenician or Egyptian Hermes, introduced by commerce into Greece, with all the attributes attributed by the Orientals to their deity. In art, a similar development is seen from the old squared trunks or pillars, called hermai and hermidia, retained till a later period, but by degrees ornamented with a bearded head, to which sometimes are added phallic symbols, the destruction of which at Athens before the sailing of the Sicilian expedition led to a fear ful tumult,, and the fall of Alcibiades (q.v.). In later, but still archaic art, he is repre sented bearded, wearing the broad-brimmed petasus, and holding the twisted caduceus. At the time of Phidias, he was represented unbearded, with curly hair, a crafty and charming expression, and the form of an athlete. Instead of the petasus, wings are sometimes arranged in his hair; his boots are winged, and his caduceus has two snakes attached to it. IIis form is naked, but often has a eldamys, or cloak, doubled upon his shoulder, and his hand holds a purse of money; while the cock, referring to his inven tion of the gymnasium, or the hours of business; the tortoise, allusive of his discovery of the lyre; the calm-tree, emblem of his invention of letters; the goat, referring to his charge of herds and paternity of Pan; and even the dog, allying him with Anubis, are placed at his side. The most remarkable type of the god was as carrying a ram upon his shoulders (criophoros). The caduceus was gilded at the top, painted blue in the middle, and black at the handle.
The Etruscans seem to have derived his worship directly from the Greeks, and repre sent him with the same attributes and type, but with the laruscan name Terms, as the Camillus of the gods. His worship passed into Rome, under the name of Mercurius, or Mercury, by which he is more familiarly known, supposed to be derived from mercari, to traffic. There was something mystic in his cult, for the feciales did not know his nature, and he originally had the laurel instead of the caduceus, and the name of his mother Main had been given to the month Mains, or May, on the 15th day of which his festival was held. As early as 259 A.u.c., he had a temple near the Circus MaximuS, and his statue in that locality held a purse. At the Porta Capena, there was a well sacred to him, and the merchants sprinkled themselves and their goods with the holy-water obtained by dipping a laurel branch into the well. Tradition made him the father of Evander by the nymph Carmenta, and of Larea by the goddess Lara; but the Romans adopted into their religious system the Greek traditions, although, at a later time, under the empire, the influx of foreign religions made them confound him with the Egyptian Anubis, and even represent him with a dog's or jackal's head, and depict him of a golden or black color. His worship had even penetrated to Gaul, where lie was adored under the name of Teutames.—Grilber, Altklass. Worterbuth Voce ; Gerhard, Griechisrh. 31;Whol. (Svo. Berl. 1854, i. 260; Hartung, Rd. d. Romer (8vo. Frib. 1843); Birch, Gall. Antig., pp. 26, 27; Muller, Arch. d. Kunst, p. 560.