Maia was prominent as two characters, one Greek, the other
Roman. The Greek Maia was the eldest of the
Pleiades (the daughters of Atlas and
Pleïone) who was the mother of Hermes by
Zeus. The Roman Maia was an obscure goddess who gave her name, it is generally believed, to the month of May. The Greek Maia's name has a meaning which ranges from 'mother' and 'dame' to 'nurse' and 'midwife'.
