▁patron ▁god ▁of ▁travel ers ▁and ▁sail ors . ▁By ▁the ▁ 5 th ▁century ▁BC , ▁Her mai ▁were ▁also ▁in ▁common ▁use ▁as ▁grave ▁monuments , ▁emphas izing ▁Herm es ' ▁role ▁as ▁a ▁c th onic ▁de ity ▁and ▁psych op omp . ▁This ▁was ▁probably ▁his ▁original ▁function , ▁and ▁he ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁late ▁inclusion ▁in ▁the ▁Olympic ▁p ant he on ; ▁Herm es ▁is ▁described ▁as ▁the ▁" you ng est " ▁Olymp ian , ▁and ▁some ▁myth s , ▁including ▁his ▁the ft ▁of ▁Apol lo ' s ▁c ows , ▁describe ▁his ▁initial ▁coming ▁into ▁contact ▁with ▁cel est ial ▁de ities . ▁Herm es ▁therefore ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁worship ed ▁as ▁a ▁medi ator ▁between ▁cel est ial ▁and ▁c th onic ▁real ms , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁one ▁who ▁facil it ates ▁interactions ▁between ▁mort als ▁and ▁the ▁divine , ▁often ▁being ▁dep icted ▁on ▁lib ation ▁vessels . ▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁his ▁mob ility ▁and ▁his ▁lim en al ▁nature , ▁medi ating ▁between ▁oppos ites ▁( such ▁as ▁merchant / customer ), ▁he ▁was ▁considered ▁the ▁god ▁of ▁commerce ▁and ▁social ▁inter course , ▁the ▁wealth ▁brought ▁in ▁business , ▁especially ▁sudden ▁or ▁unexpected ▁en rich ment , ▁travel , ▁roads ▁and ▁cross ro ads , ▁borders ▁and ▁boundary ▁conditions ▁or ▁trans ient , ▁the ▁changes ▁from ▁the ▁threshold , ▁agre ements ▁and ▁contract s , ▁friendship , ▁hospital ity , ▁sexual ▁inter course , ▁games , ▁data