In classical mythology, the Cap of Invisibility (Ἅϊδος κυνέη ''(H)aïdos kyneē'' in Greek, lit. dog-skin of Hades) is a helmet or cap that can turn the wearer invisible, also known as the Cap of Hades or Helm of Hades. Wearers of the cap in

Greek myths A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities of de ...

include Athena, the goddess of wisdom, the messenger god Hermes, and the hero

Perseus In Greek mythology, Perseus (Help:IPA/English, /ˈpɜːrsiəs, -sjuːs/; Greek language, Greek: Περσεύς, Romanization of Greek, translit. Perseús) is the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty. He was, alongside Cadmus ...

. Those wearing the Cap become invisible to other supernatural entities, akin to a cloud of mist sometimes used to remain undetectable.

Origins

One ancient source that attributes a special helmet to the ruler of the underworld is the '' Bibliotheca'' (2nd/1st century BC), in which the Uranian

Cyclops In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; el, Κύκλωπες, ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguish ...

give Zeus the lightning bolt, Poseidon the trident, and a helmet ''(kyneê)'' to

Hades Hades (; grc-gre, ᾍδης, Háidēs; ), in the ancient Greek religion and myth, is the god of the dead and the king of the underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea, although this also ...

(or Pluto) in their war against the Titans. In classical mythology the helmet is regularly said to belong to the god of the underworld. Rabelais calls it the Helmet of Pluto, and Erasmus the Helmet of Orcus. The helmet becomes proverbial for those who conceal their true nature by a cunning device: "the helmet of Pluto, which maketh the politic man go invisible, is secrecy in the counsel, and celerity in the execution."

Users

Hades

As the name implies, Hades owned the helmet. It was forged for him by Elder Cyclopses after he and his brothers Zeus and Poseidon freed them from Tartarus. He then used this helmet to great effect during the Titanomachy and was instrumental in routing the Titans.

Athena

Athena, the goddess of wisdom, battle, and handicrafts, wore the Cap of Invisibility in one instance during the Trojan War. She used it to become invisible to

Ares Ares (; grc, Ἄρης, ''Árēs'' ) is the Greek god of war and courage. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. The Greeks were ambivalent towards him. He embodies the physical valor necessary for success in war b ...

when she aided

Diomedes Diomedes (Jones, Daniel; Roach, Peter, James Hartman and Jane Setter, eds. ''Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary''. 17th edition. Cambridge UP, 2006.) or Diomede (; grc-gre, Διομήδης, Diomēdēs, "god-like cunning" or "advised by ...

, his enemy. Her assistance even enabled Diomedes to injure the god of war with a spear.

Hermes

The messenger god Hermes wore the Cap during his battle with Hippolytus, the giant.

Perseus

In some stories,

received the Cap of Invisibility (along with the

Winged Sandals The Talaria of Mercury ( la, tālāria or The Winged Sandals of Hermes grc, πτηνοπέδῑλος, or , ) are winged sandals, a symbol of the Greek messenger god Hermes (Roman equivalent Mercury). They were said to be made by the god Hepha ...

) from Athena when he went to slay the Gorgon Medusa, which helped him escape her sisters. In other myths, however, Perseus obtained these items from the Stygian nymphs. The Cap of Invisibility was not used to avoid the Gorgons' petrifying gazes, but rather to escape from the immortal Stheno and Euryale later on after he had decapitated Medusa.

In popular culture

In the '' Percy Jackson & the Olympians'' series by Rick Riordan, Annabeth Chase (a daughter of Athena) received a New York Yankees baseball cap from her mother that was a disguised cap of invisibility. In the same series, the main antagonist,

Luke Castellan A description of most characters featured in various mythology series by Rick Riordan. Overview List indicator(s) * A dark grey cell indicates that the character was not in the property or that the character's presence in the property has yet to ...

, stole Hades' Helm of Darkness, as well as Zeus' master bolt. Hades has also used it in '' The Blood of Olympus'', where he goes banishing Gaea and Tartarus's children, the giants, to Tartarus. The helmet also appears in the Italian mythological comedy '' Arrivano i titani'', but its invisibility powers work in this version only at night. The helm plays a major role in Dan Simmons' novel ''

Ilium Ilium or Ileum may refer to: Places and jurisdictions * Ilion (Asia Minor), former name of Troy * Ilium (Epirus), an ancient city in Epirus, Greece * Ilium, ancient name of Cestria (Epirus), an ancient city in Epirus, Greece * Ilium Building, a ...

'' in which the scholic narrator Thomas Hockenberry acquires the artifact through Aphrodite in her scheme to have the scholic spy on and eventually assassinate the goddess Athena.

References

{{Greek religion, state=collapsed Mythological clothing Fiction about invisibility Invisibility Symbols of Hades Athena Magic items Ancient helmets Deeds of Hermes