Did Hermes Steal Apollo’s Cattle?

In ancient Greek mythology, there are numerous stories of gods and goddesses displaying their powers, competing with each other, and getting into trouble. One such story is about how Hermes stole Apollo’s cattle. It is a fascinating tale that involves trickery, deceit, and ultimately, friendship.

The story goes that Apollo had a herd of cattle that he cherished dearly. These cows were his pride and joy, and he would spend hours tending to them every day. One day, while Apollo was busy playing music on his lyre in a nearby field, Hermes saw the opportunity to play a trick on him.

Hermes was known for being mischievous and cunning. He decided to steal some of Apollo’s cattle while the god was distracted.

However, Hermes knew that he couldn’t just take the cows without leaving any evidence behind. So instead, he put shoes on the hooves of the cows so that they wouldn’t leave any tracks.

When Apollo discovered that some of his cattle were missing, he was furious. He searched high and low but couldn’t find any trace of his beloved cows.

That is until he stumbled upon a group of cows with shoes on their hooves. He immediately knew it was Hermes who had stolen them.

Apollo confronted Hermes about the theft and demanded that he return his cows. However, instead of returning them straight away, Hermes played another trick on Apollo by pretending not to know anything about the missing cows.

But eventually, Hermes did return the cattle to Apollo after striking a deal with him. The deal was that Apollo would forgive him for stealing the cows if Hermes gave him his lyre in return.

This story highlights some essential elements in Greek mythology – trickery and friendship between gods – which were at times fragile but always full of surprises.

In conclusion, this story is an excellent example of how Greek gods often displayed their powers through cunning schemes and trickery. Hermes’ actions may have been deceitful, but ultimately, he and Apollo became friends through their mutual admiration for each other’s skills and abilities. It is an entertaining tale that continues to fascinate people to this day.