The Adventures of Hermes, God of Thieves

by Murielle Szac

  “Thank you, Athena,” murmured the Titan as they came back to the exit. “You have just helped me save mankind.” Hermes looked at him for a long time as he disappeared into the night. The glowing red dot which the Titan had trapped inside the stalk allowed him to follow his course. In a single night, Prometheus went around the entire earth and lit fires everywhere. Wherever he passed, the shadows were repelled, light triumphed over darkness. In the early morning the Titan, exhausted, contemplated his work: everywhere in the world the fire that he had stolen from the gods blazed up to keep men warm and to give them light.

  To be continued…

  EPISODE 36

  IN WHICH PANDORA, THE WORLD’S FIRST WOMAN, IS BORN

  Previously: With Athena’s help, Prometheus has succeeded in stealing fire from the gods so he can offer it to mankind.

  Never had Hermes seen Zeus so angry. When he had woken up that morning, Zeus had discovered that there were fires burning everywhere on earth. He had entered into a state of mad fury and he had at first let out terrible screams of anger. Yet towards midday silence had suddenly returned to the palace. A strange jingling sound escaped through the door of Zeus’ room: Zeus was laughing! He had just found the way to retaliate against this new act of disobedience on Prometheus’ part. He instantly summoned Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Athena and Hermes to his side. When Hermes entered the council hall he felt very uneasy; he admired the rebellious Prometheus and he also liked human beings. The master of Olympus was sitting on his throne and he was still in a villainous mood. He screwed his face into a smile. Addressing everyone at the same time he said: “I intend to give a nice gift to men; I wish to offer them the first woman. I would like each of you to give her the best quality that you possess.” Athena frowned, as though she could smell a trick, yet Hermes took no notice. He was only too happy to see his father prepared to offer men a gift! Zeus turned towards Hephaestus and said: “My son, you are to go first. Take this earth, mix it with water, and fashion a woman for us.”

  Hephaestus rose heavily to his feet and did as he’d been told. He began to mould the wet clay into a woman’s body. His fingers worked swiftly, kneading the clay and giving it nice curves. From time to time, Hephaestus would stop, take a quick look at Aphrodite, and then he would resume his task once more. It was obvious that he was using his own wife as a model in giving birth to the woman of men. Little by little, a splendid creature emerged from the lump of clay, a creature truly in the image of the most beautiful of goddesses. It was then that Aphrodite came forward and stood before the female sculpture of clay; she placed her hands on its shoulders and said:

  “Since you resemble me, I give to you beauty and seductiveness.”

  Instantly, the statue became endowed with an irresistible charm.

  Hermes approached in turn: “I give you eloquence and a taste for language,” he said.

  But Zeus interjected: “Don’t you have anything else to add, something which is truly a part of your character, my son? Think well.”

  “Ah, but of course!” exclaimed Hermes. And, turning towards the earthen woman, he said to her joyfully: “I offer you also curiosity, my immense curiosity.”

  A gleam of joy shone bright in Zeus’ eyes. Unbeknownst to him, Hermes had just played his part in setting up his father’s trap for men. Athena drew close to the future woman and offered her beautiful clothes and splendid jewels. Then she placed on her forehead a bride’s headband and veil and took the opportunity to whisper discreetly in her ear:

  “I also offer you intelligence. Above all, learn to make good use of it!”

  To finish, Zeus rose to his feet and said: “You shall be called Pandora, which means everyone’s gift, and you shall be the first woman of mankind.” Then he breathed life into the statue. Immediately, a twitch travelled across Pandora’s nostrils, her eyelids batted very fast, then opened to reveal two stunning eyes. A great smile appeared on her lips. She was ravishing.

  “Good morning,” she murmured, “when do we set off?”

  “Good morning,” replied Zeus, rubbing his hands contentedly. “My son Hermes will lead you to earth and to the world of men. You are expected in the house of Epimetheus.”

  Athena could foretell that Zeus was preparing a nasty trick against men. He was undoubtedly going to use this first woman of the world in order to take revenge on Prometheus. She immediately sent word of warning to Prometheus of what was being prepared. The Titan hurried to his brother Epimetheus: “Swear to me that you will not accept any gift coming from the gods of Olympus!” he cried to him. “Swear this to me, quick!” His brother’s authoritative manner always had a profound effect on Epimetheus. He hastily gave his word and Prometheus went back to his own house reassured. Yet Pandora was already on her way to Epimetheus’ house, accompanied by Hermes. Would Epimetheus be wise enough to refuse such a gift?

  To be continued…

  EPISODE 37

  IN WHICH WE DISCOVER THE PUNISHMENT OF PROMETHEUS

  Previously: Zeus has just created Pandora, the first woman, whom he wishes to offer to Epimetheus. But the wary Prometheus has made Epimetheus promise that he will not accept any gift from the gods.

  The way leading from Olympus to the house of Epimetheus appeared really short to Hermes. Pandora was a charming travelling companion. She asked a thousand questions about the world around her and Hermes was glad to have offered her this sense of curiosity. When they arrived at Epimetheus’ house, Hermes was sad at the prospect of leaving Pandora. Yet he had a mission to fulfil. He asked her to wait for him a few feet away from the house and he walked towards the front door. Epimetheus came to the doorstep to greet the messenger of Zeus.

  “Welcome, Hermes, what brings you to my house?” he said to him.

  “I bring you a gift from the gods of Olympus,” replied the messenger.

  Epimetheus’ smile vanished and he lost his head. He stammered: “No, no, thank you, my great lord, but I cannot accept your gift.”

  “And why ever not?” enquired Hermes.

  “Because… because… because I am unworthy of it, that’s why!” replied the miserable Epimetheus, who did not know how to keep the promise he had made to his brother without offending the gods of Olympus.

  Startled, Hermes then embarked upon a long speech praising the merits of the gift of the gods. “It is a unique gift, most exceptional. Neither god nor any human being has ever possessed anything like it. I envy you! If I could, I would happily keep this gift for myself. You cannot possibly refuse such a gem.”

  While Hermes had been talking, Epimetheus had continued to say no by shaking his head with his eyes closed, to indicate his refusal. It was then that a soft voice said:

  “Would someone perhaps have some cool water to offer me?” It was Pandora, who, urged by her curiosity, had approached Epimetheus’ house of her own accord.

  Epimetheus was staring at Pandora wide-eyed. He seemed to have succumbed already to her charms. Pandora gave Hermes a conspiratorial wink, while taking a bow before Epimetheus to greet him.

  “So, then, what do you think of the gift that the gods have prepared for you?” Hermes asked in a mischievous voice.

  “I… I accept it!” stammered Epimetheus, who was hurriedly bidding Pandora to enter and was running to get some fresh water for her. Hermes made a small gesture of farewell to Pandora and then left, his mission accomplished.

  During his flight towards Olympus, he wondered why Zeus would have offered such a gift to Epimetheus. It would not be long before he was to find out.

  Before that, however, an unpleasant surprise awaited him. He was flying above a long mountain range called Caucasus, when he saw an unfamiliar lump of darkness which seemed to be almost attached to one of the peaks. He made a small detour to see what it was and what he discovered gave him a terrible shock. Prometheus was chained practically naked there upon that mountain! His long hair covered his face. His body, battered by the chains, was exposed to the glacial wind. Zeus had just taken his revenge: Prom
etheus had disobeyed him twice in a row and he had condemned him to remain for ever chained to the mountain like this. Suddenly a gigantic shadow approached the fettered Titan: it was the royal eagle of Zeus. The ferocious beast perched upon Prometheus and began to devour his liver with his beak! Hermes was so overcome and shattered that he could no longer fly. Tears flowed down his face. The wind swept away Prometheus’ hair and Hermes discovered the face of the fettered Titan. He was not weeping. The pain made him wince but his face remained noble and proud. In spite of everything, Zeus had not succeeded in defeating Prometheus. The eagle flew away and Hermes saw that Prometheus’ liver instantly grew back. He realized that every day the eagle returned and devoured the liver of the chained Titan. A great sadness invaded his heart. Who would watch over the future of mankind from then on?

  To be continued…

  EPISODE 38

  IN WHICH PANDORA’S CURIOSITY UNLEASHES A DISASTER

  Previously: Pandora has succeeded in seducing Epimetheus and in entering his house; and Hermes has discovered that Zeus has taken cruel revenge on Prometheus, by having him chained to a mountain.

  So, then, Epimetheus had accepted the gift of the gods, forgetting every promise he had given to Prometheus. He had hardly set eyes on Pandora before falling in love with her. And very soon he celebrated his marriage to the young woman. Pandora was joyful from morning till night and her husband was thrilled to have accepted this gift from the gods. As soon as she had arrived, the young woman had gone around the house inspecting all the rooms, asking to be shown all the stores of olive oil, wheat and wine. She let out squeals of joy before every new discovery: a pretty fabric covering her bed, a delicate piece of pottery placed on her table… Epimetheus was happy to see his wife’s enthusiasm.

  When they reached the last room of the house, they found it dark and windowless. A large earthenware jar was placed in one corner and the rest of the room was empty.

  “What does this jar contain?” asked Pandora.

  “I have no idea,” replied Epimetheus gravely, “it belongs to my brother, Prometheus. He asked me to safeguard it here with the greatest care and he made me take an oath never to let anyone open it.”

  “And you never had the urge to take just a tiny peek inside?” said the ever-curious Pandora in astonishment.

  Epimetheus looked horrified: “Most certainly not! Prometheus is very wise. I have given him my word and I keep my promises.”

  Just as he said this, he remembered that by marrying Pandora he had already betrayed another promise he had made to his brother. But this Pandora did not know. Feeling uneasy, he made Pandora swear that she would never seek to open this jar. The young woman gave her word, swore to it. Epimetheus left the room reassured.

  Days and more days went past. Pandora took great pleasure in her home. But she was full of curiosity and she was dying to know what the mysterious jar contained. As soon as her husband went out, she would hurry to the dark room, take a very quick look at the jar and then come out of the room right away. Before long, this jar became an obsession with her. Her curiosity kept her awake at night. She imagined there were all sorts of things inside.

  At one point she said to her husband: “And what if this jar contained incredible treasures, jewels, or even gold? Perhaps that is the reason why your brother forbade you to open it? And now that he is in chains on Caucasus, all this wealth will be of no use to him; whereas we could put it to good use.” Epimetheus, however, got cross and he refused to listen to such talk. Another time she said to him: “Perhaps your brother’s jar contains a wine so exquisite that he wanted to save it and drink it all by himself?” Pandora was being quite malicious because she knew that her husband adored wine. Yet even on that occasion Epimetheus did not give in.

  One morning, as on all other mornings, she slipped inside the dark room. She always carried with her an oil lamp which shed a flickering light through the half-darkness. She approached the jar one more time and ran her hands over its well-curved sides. Since Athena had had the good inspiration to endow her with intelligence, Pandora always thought ahead before she acted, yet on that particular morning her intelligence proved weaker than the curiosity Hermes had offered her. “I am just going to lift the lid for an instant and then shut it back quickly. Nobody will ever know anything about it,” she told herself. Her hand shaking with excitement, she tried to remove the stopper which sealed the jar. She had to try twice. When the lid was finally half lifted, a whirlwind invaded the room, accompanied by the sound of a thunderstorm. Pandora let out a cry.

  Hermes, who at that moment had been on an errand near Pandora’s house, heard her cry. He hurried over and saw anger, jealousy, envy, wickedness, madness, old age and also death emerge from the house. These were all the ills of mankind. And all these ills spread instantly across the earth. Hermes understood immediately: the prudent Prometheus had locked up everything which might cause misery to mankind, yet Pandora had just set all these afflictions free! Hermes heard great sobs coming from inside the house. He entered and found Pandora collapsed on the floor in the farthest room. The jar was still there. Hermes approached it and saw that Pandora had put the lid back on.

  “Is there anything still inside?” asked Hermes.

  The tearful young woman replied: “When I managed to replace the lid, there was nothing left at the bottom except one thing: hope.”

  Hermes instantly felt somewhat reassured. “Fortunately, men have preserved hope, so they will always manage to cope with their misfortunes,” he thought. He knelt beside Pandora and tried to console her. A little later, he resumed his way back to Olympus. But his eyes were full of melancholy. Who knew what Prometheus might be thinking, up there on his rock, about the fate of mankind?

  To be continued…

  EPISODE 39

  IN WHICH HERMES IS DISPATCHED TO PROMETHEUS WITH A MISSION

  Previously: Pandora has set free all the ills of mankind by opening the jar where Prometheus had hidden them.

  Zeus was waiting for Hermes in the council hall of the gods. Hermes thought that he would find his father in a triumphant mood. For in fact the ruse of the master of Olympus had now fully succeeded. It was he who had conceived the plan of sending Pandora to earth, and it was he who had asked Hermes to offer his inquisitiveness to this first woman… Yes, Zeus had foreseen everything! This time, his revenge against the rebel Prometheus and against men had been accomplished.

  But even so, Hermes discovered that his face was still darkened and tense.

  “Is there something wrong?” the young god asked him.

  Zeus fiddled nervously with his thunderbolt without replying. Hermes waited. After a long silence, Zeus leapt off his throne:

  “Listen to me, Hermes: you must go and see Prometheus on the rock where I keep him captive. And you must get him to talk. He must deliver his secret to me. Otherwise I shall never set him free.”

  A shudder ran down Hermes’ spine. He knew Prometheus far too well to imagine that he would be willing to talk.

  “But what secret is this about?” asked the young messenger in a tremulous voice. “What could Prometheus possibly know, that you don’t, you, the god of gods?”

  With a sigh, Zeus let himself fall back heavily on his throne once more. And, grinding his teeth, he said:

  “I too am threatened by one of my children who might want to take my place. Just as I took the place of my father Cronus, who had taken the place of his father, Uranus. One of my sons shall desire my throne. This child has not yet been born. Yet he shall be more powerful than I. Only Prometheus knows the mother’s name. I must know this. Now go.”

  Hermes had no choice; he flew away as fast as he could.

  When he reached Caucasus’ highest peak, the messenger of the gods had a big lump in his throat. He was happy to see Prometheus again and he hoped with all his might that he would be able to secure his liberation. When he found the Titan, the eagle that devoured his liver each day was with him. Hermes watched the horrid bird. Final
ly it flew away, and Hermes looked at Prometheus chained on his rock. This time, tears flowed down the Titan’s face, becoming lost deep down his beard. His lips murmured a few words and Hermes pricked up his ears. “My men, my poor men,” Prometheus was murmuring. “What’s to become of them now? Cursed be my brother, and his disobedience! Why did he accept this gift from the gods? My mankind, my poor mankind…”

  Hermes was deeply moved. So Prometheus was not crying for his own lot, but for that of the human beings he had created! Hermes approached and said in a voice which he hoped sounded strong:

  “Good morning, Prometheus, forgive me for disturbing you, I have a message for you.” The Titan lifted up his head. “Zeus has charged me with the task of setting you free on just one condition: you must tell him the name of the mother of the one who will dethrone him. Speak and you shall be free,” Hermes said to him.

  The Titan replied with the flicker of a smile: “Never. Never shall I deliver that name to him. For I know well that the cruel Zeus will seize on the opportunity to kill that woman right away.”