Hermus

In Greek mythology, Hermus (Greek: Ἕρμος) is a name attributed to multiple characters.

River god

Hermus is the god of the river Hermus (modern Gediz river) located in the Aegean region of Lydia (modern Turkey). Like most of the river-gods, he is the son of Oceanus and Tethys. He was the father of the Lydian nymphs.

Son of Aegyptus

Hermus was one of the sons of Aegyptus, by the naiad Caliadne. He married (and was murdered by) Cleopatra, daughter of Danaus and the naiad Polyxo.

Athenian nobleman

Hermus was a nobleman of Athens and a companion of Theseus. When Theseus founded the city of Pythopolis, he left Hermus there. A place in Pythopolis called the House of Hermes was named after him, incorrectly changing the name to that of a god.

References

Gediz River

The Gediz River (Turkish: Gediz Nehri, Turkish pronunciation: [ˈɡediz]) is the second-largest river in Anatolia flowing into the Aegean Sea. The ancient names Hermos and Hermus are sometimes still used.

Name

The ancient Greek name of the river was Hermos (Ἕρμος), Latinized as Hermus.

The name of the river Gediz may be related to the Lydian proper name Cadys; Gediz is also the name of a town near the river's sources. The name "Gediz" may also be encountered as a male given name in Turkey.

Ancient geography

The Hermos separated Aeolia from Ionia, except for Ionic Phocaea, which was north of the Hermos. The valley of the Hermos was the heartland of the ancient Lydian Empire and overlooking the valley was the Lydian capital Sardis.

Location

In Turkey's Aegean Region, Gediz River's length is second only to Büyük Menderes River whose flow is roughly parallel at a distance of slightly more than a hundred kilometers to the south.

Gediz River rises from Murat Mountain and Şaphane Mountain in Kütahya Province and flows through Uşak, Manisa and İzmir Provinces. It joins the sea in the northern section of the Gulf of Izmir, close to the gulf's mouth, near the village of Maltepe in Menemen district, south of the coastal town of Foça.