Mercury was the son of Jupiter and Maia, the eldest of the Pleiades. As well as being the god of trade, he was also protector of flying creatures. He is described as being nimble-footed and ingenious, although this quality also made him tricksy. He was constantly moving and even sometimes sent on missions by Jupiter to send messages to his hidden mistresses.
He was the busiest god of Olympus, sometimes taking souls to hell as the messenger of Pluto and Proserpina, and often came to the aid of heroes such as Perseus and Hercules. His winged sandals enabled him to fly.
