Mercury

Ringkasan

Mercury adalah dewa Romawi perdagangan dan perantara antara dewa dan manusia, pelindung pedagang dan pelancong, pemandu arwah ke dunia bawah, serta dikenal licik dan suka mengerjai.

Mercury is a Roman god of commerce and mediator between gods and mortals, protector of merchants and travelers, guide of souls to the underworld, and known as a cunning prankster.

Kisah dan tradisi

Mercury (Mercurius) adalah dewa perdagangan Romawi yang kerap menjadi perantara antara dewa dan manusia, dan sayap di kakinya memberinya kecepatan. Ia melindungi pedagang, terutama pedagang gandum, serta pelancong, dan dikatakan putra Jupiter dan Maia. Ia sering dipadankan dengan Hermes dari Yunani; satu sumber menyebut Hermes diperkenalkan ke Roma dengan nama Mercurius pada 495 SM sebagai pelindung perdagangan gandum, sedangkan sumber lain menekankan sinkretisme bertahap sejak abad ke-4 SM. Namanya mungkin berkaitan dengan kata merx, "barang dagangan"; ia juga dipandang sebagai dewa kelimpahan dan keberhasilan dagang, terutama di Galia. Dalam ikonografi, Mercury memegang caduceus, tongkat untuk mendamaikan pertikaian, dan bersandal bersayap; ia juga mengenakan topi lebar Petasus dan membawa pundi-pundi lambang perdagangan. Tongkat itu diberikan Apollo, dan patung perunggu Romawi sering menampilkannya memegang tongkat dan pundi-pundi. Ia kadang ditemani ayam jantan, domba atau kambing, dan kura-kura. Ia dipandang sebagai dewa batas, perdagangan, komunikasi, kefasihan, keberuntungan, pencuri, pelancong, dan tipu daya. Mercury dikenal licik dan cerdik, sering mengerjai orang terutama Apollo, dan menjadi pelindung gembala, penipu, dan pencuri. Dalam kisah yang dituturkan Ovidius ia mengubah Battus menjadi batu, memenggal Argus setelah membuatnya tertidur demi membebaskan Io, dan membawa mimpi kepada manusia yang tidur. Ia juga mengantar arwah ke dunia bawah, termasuk Proserpina, dan dalam kisah Aeneas ia mengingatkan sang pahlawan agar meninggalkan Carthage. Kisah-kisahnya sering bercampur dengan kisah Hermes. Hari rayanya, 15 Mei, memperingati berdirinya kuilnya; pada hari itu para pemilik toko menimba air dari mata air yang dipersembahkan kepadanya dekat Porta Capena. Kultusnya ada di Campania, Latium, Galia, dan Britania, dan bukti dari Pompeii menunjukkan ia termasuk dewa Romawi yang paling populer.

Mercury (Mercurius) was the Roman god of commerce, often a mediator between gods and mortals, whose winged feet gave him speed. He protected merchants, especially those dealing in grain, and travelers, and was said to be the son of Jupiter and Maia. He is often equated with the Greek Hermes; one source says Hermes was introduced to Rome as Mercurius in 495 BCE as protector of the grain trade, while another stresses a gradual syncretism starting in the 4th century BCE. His name is possibly related to the word merx, "merchandise"; in Gaul in particular he was also seen as a god of abundance and business success. In iconography Mercury holds the caduceus, a wand used to reconcile conflicts, and wears winged sandals; he also wears the broad-brimmed Petasus hat and carries a purse symbolizing commerce. The wand was given by Apollo, and Roman bronze statuettes often show him holding a staff and a purse. He was sometimes accompanied by a rooster, a ram or goat, and a tortoise. He was regarded as god of boundaries, commerce, communication, eloquence, luck, thieves, travelers and trickery. Mercury was known as cunning and shrewd, often pranking others especially Apollo, and was patron of shepherds, cheats and thieves. In stories told by Ovid he turns Battus to stone, beheads Argus after putting him to sleep to free Io, and carries dreams to sleeping humans. He also escorts the dead to the underworld, including Proserpina, and in the Aeneas story he reminds the hero to leave Carthage. His stories often blend with those of Hermes. His festival day, 15 May, commemorated the founding of his temple; on that day shopkeepers drew water from a spring dedicated to him near the Porta Capena. His cult existed in Campania, Latium, Gaul and Britain, and evidence from Pompeii suggests he was among the most popular Roman gods.

Konteks budaya

Para pedagang berdoa kepada Mercury untuk memohon keuntungan dan perlindungan dagangan; ia diperkenalkan sebagai pelindung perdagangan gandum lalu menjadi dewa jual beli pada umumnya, dengan kapel kecil di jalan-jalan toko. Pada 15 Mei pedagang memohon agar ia menghapus kesalahan tipuan mereka, dan kata mercurialis dipakai secara populer untuk "penipu".

Merchants prayed to Mercury for profit and protection of their goods; he was introduced as protector of the grain trade and became the god of buying and selling in general, with little chapels in shop streets. On 15 May merchants asked him to remove the guilt of their deceits, and the word mercurialis was popularly used for "cheat".

Fakta utama

Budaya / Culture: Tradisi Romawi kuno
Kawasan / Region: Eropa
Era: His temple was built around 495 BCE; Roman religion syncretized him with Greek religion starting around the 4th century BCE
Klasifikasi / Classification: Deity
Kemampuan / Abilities: Perantara dan pembawa pesan, Pemandu arwah, Mengubah menjadi batu, Membuat Argus tertidur, Membawa mimpi, Tipu daya dan pencurian

Nama lain / Alternate names

Mercurius, Merqurius, Mirqurios, Mircurios

Tahukah kamu? / Did you know?

Para pedagang Romawi memercikkan air dari mata air suci Mercury ke kepala dan barang dagangan sambil memohon agar ia menghapus kesalahan semua tipuan mereka.

Roman shopkeepers sprinkled water from Mercury's sacred spring over their heads and goods, asking him to remove the guilt of all their deceits.