Greek Mythology · deity

Maia

Μαῖα
deitythe nymphmother of Hermes

Nymph, daughter of the Titan Atlas, and mother of Hermes by Zeus.

Coin of Pheneos showing the head of Maia, mother of Hermes (360–340 BCE) — Coin of Pheneos showing the head of Maia
Coin of Pheneos showing the head of Maia · ArchaiOptix · 340 BCE · The Metropolitan Museum of Art · CC BY-SA 4.0
The account

Who they are

Maia is a nymph, one of the Pleiades (daughters of the Titan Atlas and the oceanid Pleione), and the mother of Hermes by Zeus [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗[S4]S4 · Homeric Hymnsc. 700–300 BCEtext[S5]S5 · Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library (Bibliotheca)c. 1st–2nd c. CE (transmits earlier)text. She is a minor figure, known chiefly as Hermes's mother; the Homeric Hymn to Hermes opens with her nursing the infant god in a cave [S4]S4 · Homeric Hymnsc. 700–300 BCEtext.
Worth knowing
  • Mother of Hermes by Zeus [S4]S4 · Homeric Hymnsc. 700–300 BCEtext.
  • One of the Pleiades, daughter of Atlas [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗[S4]S4 · Homeric Hymnsc. 700–300 BCEtext.
Relationships (2)

Connections

Family & kinship

PARENT_OFHermes — Maia is the mother of Hermes.[S4] [S5]
PARENT_OFAtlas — Atlas is the parent of Maia.[S1] [S4]
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Their corner of the divine world

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GREEK · 41variantvariant♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥AegisHelmet of HadesCaduceus of Her…Trident of Pose…Thunderbolt of …Alcmenamortalthe mortal mother of Heracles1 relationsAndromedamortalthe rescued princess2 relationsAphroditedeitylove7 relationsAtlasdeitythe sky (bore)1 relationsChaosprimordialorigin2 relationsDanaemortalthe mortal mother of Perseus1 relationsDemeterdeityharvest6 relationsEchidnamonsterthe monster-mother2 relationsGaiadeityearth6 relationsHadesdeitythe dead7 relationsHeradeitymarriage8 relationsHestiadeityhearth1 relationsLetodeitymotherhood (as mother of Apollo/Artemis)2 relationsMedusamonsterthe Gorgon3 relationsMetisdeitycounsel2 relationsOceanusdeitythe great world-river1 relationsOdysseusherocunning2 relationsPenelopemortalthe faithful wife of Odysseus2 relationsPoseidondeitythe sea6 relationsRheadeitymotherhood2 relationsSemelemortalthe mortal mother of Dionysus1 relationsTethysdeitythe primordial sea1 relationsTyphonmonsterthe great monster7 relationsCerberusmonsterthe guardian of the underworld3 relationsErosdeitylove2 relationsHebedeityyouth2 relationsHephaestusdeityfire6 relationsMaiadeitythe nymph2 relationsUranusprimordialsky6 relationsPersephonedeitythe underworld2 relationsTelemachusmortalthe son of Odysseus2 relationsCronusdeitytime (later association)9 relationsZeusdeitysky29 relationsApollodeitysun (later)4 relationsAresdeitywar (violence, bloodshed)3 relationsArtemisdeitythe hunt3 relationsAthenadeitywisdom4 relationsDionysusdeitywine3 relationsHeraclesherostrength7 relationsHermesdeitymessengers5 relationsPerseusheroheroism8 relations
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Artworks

Depictions

Coin of Pheneos showing the head of Maia, mother of Hermes (360–340 BCE) — Coin of Pheneos showing the head of Maia
Coin of Pheneos showing the head of Maia · ArchaiOptix · 340 BCE · The Metropolitan Museum of Art · CC BY-SA 4.0
Coin of Pheneos showing the head of Maia · 340 BCE
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