▁Function s ▁Herm es ▁began ▁as ▁a ▁god ▁with ▁strong ▁ch th onic , ▁or ▁under world , ▁associations . ▁He ▁was ▁wor sh ipped ▁in ▁ancient ▁times ▁" the ▁god ▁of ▁the ▁road ▁between ▁the ▁Under ▁and ▁the ▁Upper ▁world ", ▁and ▁this ▁function ▁gradually ▁expanded ▁to ▁en comp ass ▁roads ▁in ▁general , ▁and ▁from ▁there ▁boundaries , ▁travel ers , ▁sail ors , ▁and ▁commerce . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁ch th onic ▁and ▁fert ility ▁god ▁Begin ning ▁with ▁the ▁earliest ▁records ▁of ▁his ▁worship , ▁Herm es ▁has ▁been ▁understood ▁as ▁a ▁ch th onic ▁de ity ▁( he av ily ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁earth ▁and / or ▁under world ). ▁As ▁a ▁ch th onic ▁de ity , ▁the ▁worship ▁of ▁Herm es ▁also ▁included ▁an ▁aspect ▁rel ating ▁to ▁fert ility , ▁with ▁the ▁ph all us ▁being ▁included ▁among ▁his ▁major ▁symbols . ▁The ▁inclusion ▁of ▁ph all ic ▁imag ery ▁associated ▁with ▁Herm es ▁and ▁placed , ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁her ma , ▁at ▁the ▁ent ran ces ▁to ▁households ▁may ▁reflect ▁a ▁belief ▁in ▁ancient ▁times ▁that ▁Herm es ▁was ▁a ▁symbol ▁of ▁the ▁household ' s ▁fert ility , ▁specifically ▁the ▁pot ency ▁of ▁the ▁male ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁household ▁in ▁producing ▁children . ▁ ▁The ▁association ▁between ▁Herm es ▁and ▁the ▁under world ▁is ▁related ▁to ▁his ▁function ▁as ▁a ▁god ▁of ▁boundaries ▁( the ▁boundary ▁between ▁life ▁and ▁death ), ▁but ▁he ▁is ▁considered ▁a ▁psych op omp , ▁a