Abstract

The pseudo sacrifice of Hermes on the banks of the Alphée river is very enigmatic. Is it a procedure to enable him to be received among the gods? To be integrated into the divine hierarchy instituted by Zeus? The Hymn is dedicated to the invention of the exchange. After making the object of the exchange – the lyre – Hermes is compelled to make the ‘count money’ of this time which will be used to acquire it. By this pseudo sacrifice, the eternal cows of Apollo are metamorphosed into ‘count money’.