Mercury and the Birth of Bacchus

Nicolas Poussin: "The Infant Bacchus Entrusted to the Nymphs of Nysa; The Death of Echo and Narcissus" (1657). The painting shows Mercury delivering the newly born baby Bacchus to Ino. Click on image for larger gif (99K GIF) Image courtesy of the Fogg Art Museum. Gift of Mrs. Samuel Sachs in memory of Mr. Samuel Sachs. To be reproduced only by permission of the Harvard University Art Museums. (c) President and Fellows of Harvard College, Harvard University Art Museums.

Mercury was popular among the gods because he was playful, innocent, and helpful. Mercury helped his father, Jupiter, when Bacchus was born. Bacchus was the son of Semele and Jupiter. When Jupiter and Semele first got to know each other, Jupiter was disguised in simple clothes. When he finally visited Semele as the god Jupiter, she was turned to ashes by his brillance. Jupiter took Semele's baby, Bacchus, and nurtured him until he was ready to be born. Once he was born, Jupiter gave Bacchus to Mercury to protect the baby from Jupiter's wife, who was jealous. Mercury put the baby Bacchus in the care of Io, Semele's sister.

Nicolas Poussin: "The Infant Bacchus Entrusted to the Nymphs of Nysa; The Death of Echo and Narcissus" (1657). The painting shows Mercury delivering the newly born baby Bacchus to Ino. Click on image for larger gif (99K GIF) Image courtesy of the Fogg Art Museum. Gift of Mrs. Samuel Sachs in memory of Mr. Samuel Sachs. To be reproduced only by permission of the Harvard University Art Museums. (c) President and Fellows of Harvard College, Harvard University Art Museums.

Mercury was popular among the gods because he was playful, innocent, and helpful. Mercury helped his father, Jupiter, when Bacchus was born. Bacchus was the son of Semele and Jupiter. Semele was the daughter of Cadmus, the brother of Europa, and Harmonia, the daughter of Mars and Venus. When Jupiter and Semele first got to know each other, Jupiter was disguised in simple clothes. Jupiter's wife, Juno, was angry with both Jupiter and Semele. Juno disguised herself as Semele's nurse and made Semele curious about her new boyfriend. The next time Jupiter visited, Semele made him promise that the next time he came, he would come to her as he really was. On his next visit, he came as the god Jupiter, and Semele was consumed to ashes by his brillance. Jupiter took Semele's baby, Bacchus, and nurtured him until he was ready to be born. Once he was born, Jupiter gave Bacchus to Mercury to protect the baby from Jupiter's wife, who was jealous. Mercury put the baby Bacchus in the care of Io, Semele's sister.

Nicolas Poussin: "The Infant Bacchus Entrusted to the Nymphs of Nysa; The Death of Echo and Narcissus" (1657). The painting shows Mercury delivering the newly born baby Bacchus to Ino. Click on image for larger gif (99K GIF) Image courtesy of the Fogg Art Museum. Gift of Mrs. Samuel Sachs in memory of Mr. Samuel Sachs. To be reproduced only by permission of the Harvard University Art Museums. (c) President and Fellows of Harvard College, Harvard University Art Museums.

Mercury was the prankster of the gods. And yet, in spite of his pranks, he won the affection of all the gods because of his playfulness, innocence, and helpfulness. He was particularly helpful to Jupiter, his father, and became his official messenger and trusted aide. It was Mercury who drove the herd of Agenor, with Jupiter disguised as a bull mingled in with them, towards the Princess Europa on the Phoenician shores of the Mediterranean. It was Mercury who lulled Argos to sleep, then slew him and freed Io. Mercury came again to the aide of his father on the occasion of the birth of Bacchus, god of wine. Now Semele was the daughter of Cadmus, brother of Europa, and Harmonia, daughter of Mars and Venus.

Jupiter caught site of Semele one spring day, and as was his habit, fell in love with her. Jupiter came to her in simple attire, wooed her, and won her. Jupiter's jealous wife, Juno, plotted revenge against this new rival for her husband's affections. She assumed the guise of Semele's aged nurse, and, as the trusted servant, suggested that perhaps her lover was not who he claimed to be. Semele had to know, so she extracted an oath from Jupiter, the next time she saw him, that he would come to her in all his glory, to prove that he was really who he claimed to be. "Kill me if you can with one fierce Divine embrace!" she cried out. By this time Semele was already pregnant by Jupiter with the child Bacchus. Jupiter, having sworn on the sacred River Styx to grant Semele any wish she desired, had no recourse but to come to Semele as she had desired. Clothed in all his splendor, including lightning and thunder, Jupiter entered the bedchamber of Semele, embraced her with searing and divine radiance, and in an instant she was consumed to ashes. As Semele was engulfed in brilliant rapture, Jupiter plucked the unborn infant Bacchus from her womb, and sewed him into his thigh. In due time Jupiter drew forth Bacchus from his thigh-womb, with the help of Ilithyia, and Bacchus was born again. To protect Bacchus from the hostility of his jealous wife Juno, Jupiter entrusted the infant to his loyal son and servant Mercury, who took him to Orchomenus and placed him in the care of Semele's sister Io.