In one version of Hermes' myth he is given the staff by Apollo, who was the god of healing among other attributes. In another version, he receives the staff from Zeus, the king of the gods ...

In many visual depictions, Hermes carries the caduceus staff. In some myths, it was a gift from Apollo, exchanged for a lyre made from a turtle shell. In others, it commemorates an incident in ...

Son of Zeus and Maia, Hermes was the trickster of the pantheon. In one myth, he stole fellow god Apollo’s cattle, consequently becoming the protector of thieves, shepherds, cattle, and merchants.