Hermaphroditus in Greek tradition
Born to Hermes and Aphrodite, Hermaphroditus was beautiful from birth and was raised by the nymphs of Mount Ida. Hermaphroditus is a Greek being associated with androgyny, gender duality, sexual union, marriage, fertility, and generation. The androgynous body, combining breasts and male genitalia, expresses the double nature represented by this figure, who was also linked with protection.
The quick answers
Who is Hermaphroditus?
Hermaphroditus is a Greek being associated with androgyny and gender duality, sexual union, marriage, fertility and generation, apotropaic protection.Source
Source
- The Oxford Companion to World Mythology
What is Hermaphroditus associated with?
androgyny and gender duality, sexual union, marriage, fertility and generation, apotropaic protectionSource
Source
- The Oxford Companion to World Mythology
What family links are recorded for Hermaphroditus?
Father: Hermes, Mother: Aphrodite.
Hermaphroditus’s family, at a glance
Parents above, children below, and the figure’s consorts named in between, the same family data as the fact box, laid out as a chart instead of a field list.
The names Hermaphroditus answers to
Hermaphroditos
Greek form of the name
SourceThe Oxford Companion to World Mythology
Androgynos
The androgynous or male-female one
SourceThe Oxford Companion to World Mythology
Atlantiades
Descendant of Atlas, through Hermes
SourceThe Oxford Companion to World Mythology
The myths of Hermaphroditus
1 myth, each traced to its primary text and corpus sources.
The Birth and Upbringing of Hermaphroditus
Aphrodite spent a night with Hermes, and Hermaphroditus was born from their union. He was beautiful from birth. Hermes and Aphrodite entrusted him to the nymphs of Mount Ida. The nymphs received him and took responsibility for his care. They raised him on the mountain, apart from his parents.
Hermaphroditus spent his childhood among the nymphs. They looked after him throughout these years, and he remained in their care. His daily life had no named activity or marked event. No named companion joined him, and no teacher or other figure was connected with his upbringing. The nymphs gave him care, but no particular lesson or duty formed part of the story of his childhood.
The years passed while Hermaphroditus lived with the nymphs of Mount Ida. He did not leave their care during childhood. No journey, encounter, transformation, or union followed within this part of his life. Hermes and Aphrodite had no further part in his upbringing after they entrusted him to the nymphs. He remained on Mount Ida until he reached adolescence, and the story ended with him still under their care.
In the modern world
No modern rework confirmed yet.
2 sources· checked 2026-08-19
- 1The Greek MythsT1
- 2Ovid, MetamorphosesT1
Quote
“Hermes and Aphrodite entrust their beautiful son Hermaphroditus to the nymphs of Mount Ida, who raise him until adolescence.”
Ovid, Metamorphoses
What this page is built from
About this page
Written and maintained by MythSource. Last reviewed not yet recorded. How a page gets built.
2 sources are cited on this page, primary texts and corpus scholarship, listed below.
Cite this page
MythSource. (n.d.). Hermaphroditus. https://www.mythsource.com/figures/hermaphroditus
"Hermaphroditus." MythSource, n.d., www.mythsource.com/figures/hermaphroditus.
"Hermaphroditus." MythSource. n.d. https://www.mythsource.com/figures/hermaphroditus.
The mythology summaries and identity fields on this page are grounded in the primary texts and scholarship above. The appearance table records candidates separately; only reviewed joins are presented as modern reworks in Overview.
The film
The Underdrawing video on Hermaphroditus embeds here once it publishes.