es ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁patron ▁god ▁of ▁f lock s , ▁her ds , ▁and ▁she ph erd s , ▁an ▁attribute ▁possibly ▁tied ▁to ▁his ▁early ▁origin ▁as ▁an ▁aspect ▁of ▁Pan . ▁In ▁Bo et ia , ▁Herm es ▁was ▁worship ed ▁for ▁having ▁saved ▁the ▁town ▁from ▁a ▁pl ague ▁by ▁carrying ▁a ▁ram ▁or ▁cal f ▁around ▁the ▁city ▁walls . ▁A ▁year ly ▁festival ▁comm emor ated ▁this ▁event , ▁during ▁which ▁a ▁l amb ▁would ▁be ▁carried ▁around ▁the ▁city ▁by ▁" the ▁most ▁hand some ▁boy " ▁and ▁then ▁sacrific ed , ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁pur ify ▁and ▁protect ▁the ▁city ▁from ▁disease , ▁dr ought , ▁and ▁fam ine . ▁N umer ous ▁dep ict ions ▁of ▁Herm es ▁as ▁a ▁she ph erd ▁god ▁carrying ▁a ▁l amb ▁on ▁his ▁shoulders ▁( H erm es ▁k ri op hor os ) ▁have ▁been ▁found ▁throughout ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁world , ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁possible ▁that ▁the ▁icon ography ▁of ▁Herm es ▁as ▁" The ▁Good ▁She ph erd " ▁had ▁an ▁influence ▁on ▁early ▁Christian ity , ▁specifically ▁in ▁the ▁description ▁of ▁Christ ▁as ▁" the ▁Good ▁She ph erd " ▁in ▁the ▁G ospel ▁of ▁John . ▁ ▁Historical ▁and ▁literary ▁sources ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁My c ena e an ▁period ▁The ▁earliest ▁written ▁record ▁of ▁Herm es ▁comes ▁from ▁Linear ▁B ▁ins cri ptions ▁from ▁P yl os , ▁The bes , ▁and ▁Kn oss os ▁d ating ▁to ▁the