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Hermes bearing the infant Dionysus, by Praxiteles Hermes (Greek: 'Έμης': 'pile of marker stones'), in Greek mythology, is the god of travelers, shepherds, land travel, orators, literature, cunning, poets, athletics, weights and measures, and thieves, and the messenger from the gods to humans. Son of Zeus and a nymph named Maia, Hermes is equivalent to the Roman god Mercury and the Etruscan Turms. Hermes was born in a cave on Mt. Cyllene in Peloponnesus, between Achaia and Arcadia. His origin on Mt. Cyllene explains the origin of an epithet for Hermes: Hermes Cylleneius. He was also referred to as Enagonios. As a psychopompMany sets of religious beliefs have a particular spirit, diety, demon or angel whose responsibility is to escort newly-deceased souls to the afterlife, such as Heaven or Hell. These creatures are called psychopomps . They were often associated with horses, Hermes is known as Psychopompos ("conductor of the soul"). The Roman Mercury later absorbed the Dei LucriiIn early Roman mythology, the Dei Lucrii were early gods of wealth, profit, commerce and trade. They were later subsumed by Mercury. Commerce gods Roman gods., early gods of commerce and wealth, and were referred to by that name. Hermes was also later combined with the EgyptianEgyptian mythology (or Egyptian religion is the name for the succession of beliefs held by the people of Egypt until the coming of Christianity and Islam. The timespan involved is nearly three thousand years, and beliefs varied considerably over time, so AnubisAnubis whose hieroglyphic name more closely translates as Anpu, is the Ancient Egyptian God of death and dying, and sometimes God of the Underworld. His mother is Hesat or Bastet with an unknown father, or Nephthys, and his father is variously said to be to form HermanubisIn classical mythology, Hermanubis was a god who combined Hermes ( Greek mythology) with Anubis ( Egyptian mythology). He was popular during the period of Roman domination. Egyptian gods Roman gods..
The name Hermes TrismegistusHermes Trismegistus is the latin name for "Hermes the thrice-greatest" derived from Epsilon;ρμης ο Τρισμεγιστο&sigmaf the Greek name of the Egyptian god Thoth (the god of was used later by alchemistsJoseph Wright of Derby, 1771) Alchemy is an early protoscientific practice combining elements of chemistry, physics, astrology, art, semiotics, metallurgy, medicine, mysticism, and religion. Two intertwined goals sought by many alchemists were the philoso and their like to refer to a syncretic godSyncretism is the attempt to reconcile disparate, even opposing, beliefs and to meld practices of various schools of thought. It is especially associated with the attempt to merge and analogize several originally discrete traditions, especially in the the combining elements from Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth.
Hermes or Mercury was commonly identified with the Germanic god Wotan/Woden/ Odin, hence Latin dies Mercurius corresponds to English Wednesday from Wodnes dæg 'Woden's day'.
The modern post office in Greece uses Hermes as its symbol.