God
Hermaphroditus
Ἑρμαφρόδιτος
Roman:
Hermaphroditus
Overview
Divine child of Hermes and Aphrodite associated with combined male and female characteristics.
Generation
Olympian descendants
Notes
Son of Hermes and Aphrodite.
Beyond Antiquity
Modern Legacy
Hermaphroditus still appears in the modern world through language, science, medicine, astronomy or culture.
Hermaphrodite
Today: A historical biological term for an organism possessing both male and female reproductive characteristics.
The word derives from Hermaphroditus, whose name combines Hermes and Aphrodite. In myth, Hermaphroditus and Salmacis became joined in a single body. Modern scientific terminology usually uses more specific terms where appropriate.
Explore Hermaphroditus in modern language →Related Myths
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Hermaphroditus and Salmacis
Divine child transformed through union with Salmacis