God · Roman
Mercury
Mercury, a god of the Roman world, and the gods ancient sources said were the same.
Tradition: roman
Documented identifications
| Link | Who said so | Note |
|---|---|---|
| identified as Hermes | Roman lectisternium of the twelve gods, 217 BCE (Livy 22.10) | Mercury, god of trade and messages, took the role and myths of Hermes. |
| identified as Odin | Tacitus, Germania 9, 98 CE; Paul the Deacon 1.9, c. 790 | Mercury is the god the Germans chiefly worship, says Tacitus; Paul the Deacon says Wotan "is the one the Romans call Mercury". |
| identified as Teutates | Berne scholia on Lucan 1.445, late antiquity | One scholiast equates Teutates with Mercury, another with Mars. |
| identified as Lugus | Caesar, Gallic War 6.17, c. 50 BCE (as usually read) | Caesar's Gaulish Mercury, "inventor of all arts", is often read as Lugus, a contested identification. |