Who Saw Hermes Steal Apollo’s Cattle?

In Greek mythology, there is a fascinating story about the god Hermes stealing cattle belonging to Apollo. The story goes that Hermes, who was known as the messenger of the gods, came across a herd of cattle belonging to his half-brother Apollo.

Being a trickster god, Hermes devised a plan to steal the cattle. But the question remains, who saw Hermes steal Apollo’s cattle?

According to the myth, when Hermes stole the cattle, he disguised their tracks by making them walk backward, and he also put branches on their feet to hide their footprints. However, as he was leading them away, he came across an old man named Battus.

Battus asked Hermes what he was doing with the cattle, but Hermes lied and told him that he was taking them to sacrifice. Battus believed him and promised not to tell anyone about it. However, when Hermes returned later to retrieve the cattle, Battus revealed what had happened and told Apollo.

Apollo was furious about the theft and demanded that someone tell him who had done it. When Battus hesitated to reveal Hermes’ identity, Apollo turned him into a rock as punishment for his silence.

As for who ultimately saw Hermes steal the cattle, it was actually a group of fishermen who witnessed him crossing a river with the stolen animals. They reported this sighting to Apollo.

In conclusion, while Battus initially knew about the theft but failed to report it until later when threatened by punishment from Apollo himself; it was ultimately a group of fishermen who saw Hermes steal Apollo’s cattle and reported this sighting back to its rightful owner.