talaria

9.9

Sandals with small wings worn by the messenger god Hermes to fly

noun
/təˈleɪrɪə/

Literature

: talaria

The talaria carried Hermes swiftly across the sky as he delivered messages for the gods.

Examples

Writers often reference the talaria when describing messengers of the gods in classical literature.
The statue depicted Hermes wearing talaria.
In the ancient statue, Mercury is depicted with his talaria on his feet, ready for flight.
In mythology, talaria symbolize speed and agility.
In classical mythology, Hermes is often depicted wearing his talaria, which allowed him to fly swiftly between the realms.
The artist painted a scene where the god Mercury was adorned with golden talaria as he delivered messages to the mortals.
During the festival, participants dressed as gods often wore talaria to celebrate their connection to Greek mythology.

Surface Forms

talaria singular

talarias plural

Etymology

Talaria comes from the Latin talus, which means 'ankle', so the word originally meant 'things for the ankles'. In myth the talaria are the winged sandals worn by Hermes or Mercury that let them fly and carry messages.