The Trust Officer As Greek God

If the fiduciary business had a Greek god, who would it be? This 1956 Fiduciary Trust ad nominated Hermes, god of commerce. Some say Hermes was associated with prudence. The ancient Greeks thought he brought good luck. We'll ignore his reputation for thievery and for going all the way with Aphrodite.

Although the illustrator of the ad neglected to give him a shirt, Hermes does have the standard equipment for trust officers of the time – a pipe and an ashtray. Exercising discretion must have been easier with pipe in hand.

Before Hermes took up office work, he helped found the United States of America. You can admire him in the rotunda of the U. S. capitol. The fresco The Apotheosis of Washington shows Hermes handing wealth generated by colonial commerce to Robert Morris, financier of the Revolution.

Related question: Where is Hermes when the modern Greek government needs him?