Hermes used the Caduceus to charm all hundred of Argus Panoptes's eyes to sleep before slaying the giant, freeing Io from Hera's watchful guardian.
In Odyssey Book 5, Hermes carried the Caduceus when Zeus sent him to Calypso's island to command the nymph to release Odysseus. Homer describes him taking up the staff that charms men's eyes to sleep or wakes them.
Hermes wielded the Caduceus to put Argus Panoptes to sleep, enabling him to slay the giant and free Io from Hera's captivity on Zeus's orders.
In Iliad Book 24, Hermes carried the Caduceus when Zeus sent him to guide the aged King Priam safely through the Greek camp to ransom the body of Hector from Achilles.
The Caduceus and the Winged Sandals are Hermes's two most iconic attributes, both carried when he undertakes missions as messenger of the gods in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey.
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