logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2024
47m 54s

Hermes: Messenger of the Gods

History Hit
About this episode

Famed as the herald of the Greek gods, Hermes is the ‘jack of all trades’ when it comes to the pantheon of Mount Olympus. Known for his trademark winged sandals and snake encircled sceptre, he is the god of both thieves and shepherds. But how did he earn those titles?


In this episode of the Ancients, Tristan Hughes continues our Gods and Goddesses series with Christopher Bungard to chat all things Hermes   and answer the most important of questions - how did his sandals grow wings? 


Senior Producer: Elena Guthrie. Assistant Producer: Joseph Knight. Editor: Aidan Lonergan. Script Writer: Andrew Hulse. Voice Actor: Lucy Davidson


Other episodes in this series include: Zeus, Hera, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Ares, Athena, King Midas, Achilles, Poseidon, Medusa, Hades, Persephone, and Demeter.


Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code ANCIENTS sign up now for your 14-day free trial HERE.


You can take part in our listener survey here.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Aug 23
Terror Birds
What kind of predator needs no teeth to terrify its prey? The terror birds were enormous flightless hunters that ruled South America for millions of years, standing metres tall and built for a life of pursuit and slaughter.In this episode, Tristan Hughes is joined by palaeontolog ... Show More
45m 14s
Aug 20
The Maya Ballgame
A rubber ball. A stone court. And a sport where the stakes could be life and death.For more than 2,000 years, Mesoamerican peoples played a remarkable ballgame that became far more than entertainment; across the Maya world, it became a spectacle and a ceremony with religion, poli ... Show More
1h 7m
Aug 16
How Slavery Built the Roman Empire
Was the Roman Empire really made by conquest? Or was it powered by something much darker?For centuries, millions of enslaved people sacrificed their lives and their labour on the altar of Roman progress, an integral cog in the grinding imperial machine. And so today on The Ancien ... Show More
1h 7m
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2020
The Trickster God Hermes, the Original Baby Genius
Hermes is a pretty incredible newborn. He invents the lyre, steals some cattle, lies through his teeth, all within mere moments of birth! (Also, it's a tortoise). Please listen to this episode before the Homeric Hymn to Hermes. CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Giv ... Show More
22m 1s
Dec 2022
Zeus: King of the Gods
<p>Zeus, the chief deity in Greek mythology, is the Olympian god of sky and thunder and is king of all other gods and men.</p><br><p>His tale is one of overthrowing fathers, eating babies and seducing women, both mortal and divine, by changing his own form. He's one of the most c ... Show More
55m 6s
Sep 2025
602. Greek Myths: Zeus, King of the Gods (Part 1)
What are the mythic origins of Zeus, King of the Olympians, and the other Greek gods? From what period did the earliest of the Greek myths derive? Who was Hesiod - alongside Homer, the greatest of the Greek poets, and the father of European literature - who first recorded Zeus’ s ... Show More
1h 1m
Feb 2024
Greek Myths: The Furies
<p>The gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece have been written about for thousands of years. From their home atop Mount Olympus, they reigned over the land, sea and sky. The course of human history was shaped by the whims and wishes of these deities, and the Furies were no excepti ... Show More
20m 26s
Mar 2008
The Greek Myths
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Greek myths from Achilles to Zeus. Are you a touch narcissistic? Do you have the body of an Adonis? Are you willing to undertake Herculean tasks or Promethean ventures? Perhaps you have an Oedipus complex? If you answer to any or perhaps all of ... Show More
42m 17s
Jan 2022
Greek myths: everything you wanted to know
In the latest episode in our series on history’s biggest topics, classicist Natalie Haynes tackles listener questions on Greek myths. Speaking to Rachel Dinning, she examines the tales of popular figures including Hercules and Aphrodite, and explores how these ancient stories hav ... Show More
1h 3m
Oct 2020
Cerberus
When the demi-god Heracles is tasked with defeating the three-headed guard dog of Hades, we see what happens when the world’s greatest hero meets the underworld’s greatest monster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 
48m 54s
Oct 2020
S3E1 - Heracles Pt. 1 - the G.O.A.T. of Greek Mythology
Oh Muses! In this episode we tell the tale of Heracles and his Labors. We come across comical amounts of horse manure, an uncontrollable rage that destroys lives, cousin rivalry, and snakes. And we all know how the Oracle feels about snakes. National Geographic Kids Greeking Out ... Show More
30m 24s