Maia

                                    In Greek mythology, Maia was described as the daughter of Atlas and Pleione, and was the eldest of the seven Pleiades. Maia was also described as a shy goddess who dwell alone in a cave near the peaks of Mt Cyllene. 

Maia and Zeus

                                                    Zeus was attracted towards her beauty and in the night he secretly took her into his bed. Maia secretly gave to a son by Zeus, Hermes, in a cave of Cyllene. After giving birth to the baby, Maia wrapped him in blanket and went to sleep. The infant Hermes crawled away, stole some of Apollo's cattle and invented the lyre from a tortoise shell. 
                                             

Maia, infant Hermes, and Apollo

         Maia refused to believe Apollo when he claimed Hermes was the thief and Zeus then sided with Apollo. Finally Apollo exchanged the cattle for the lyre which became one of Apollo identifying attributes. Maia also raised the boy Arcas in her cave whose mother Callisto had been transformed into a bear.  

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