Hermes

Hermes Argeiphontes was a messenger of the gods. Hermes the son of the god Zeus and Maia. As the special servant and courier of Zeus, Hermes had winged sandals and a winged hat and bore a golden Caduceus, or magic wand, entwined with snakes and surmounted by wings. He was also the god of commerce, and the protector of traders and herds. He also protected gymnasiums and stadiums and was believed to be responsible for both good luck and wealth. Hermes was also a dangerous foe, a trickster, and a thief. On the day of his birth he stole the cattle of his brother, the sun god Apollo, and made the cattle walk backward to cover his tracks. When confronted by Apollo, Hermes denied the theft. The brothers were finally reconciled when Hermes gave Apollo his newly invented lyre. Hermes was represented in early Greek art as a mature, bearded man; in classical art he became an athletic youth, nude and beardless.

More notably, as for the relevence to the Odyssey, Hermes conducted the souls of the dead to the underworld and was believed to possess magical powers over sleep and dreams. He favors Odysseus and provides him with the molu flower to resist Circe's charms (X.299-330). He tells Odysseus how to intimidate Circe in a song, which he probably played on his Lyre.

Work Cited: Stewart, Michael. "Hermes", Greek Mythology: From the Iliad to the Fall of the Last Tyrant. November 14, 2005.Messagenet Communications Research. 15 June 2006. <http://messagenet.com/myths/bios/hermes.html>