, ▁the ▁draw , ▁good ▁luck , ▁the ▁sacrific es ▁and ▁the ▁sacrific ial ▁animals , ▁f lock s ▁and ▁she ph erd s ▁and ▁the ▁fert ility ▁of ▁land ▁and ▁cattle . ▁ ▁In ▁Ath ens , ▁Herm es ▁E ion ▁came ▁to ▁represent ▁the ▁A then ian ▁naval ▁superior ity ▁in ▁their ▁defeat ▁of ▁the ▁Pers ians , ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁C imon , ▁in ▁ 4 7 5 ▁BC . ▁In ▁this ▁context , ▁Herm es ▁became ▁a ▁god ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁A then ian ▁emp ire ▁and ▁its ▁expansion , ▁and ▁of ▁dem ocracy ▁itself , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁all ▁of ▁those ▁closely ▁associated ▁with ▁it , ▁from ▁the ▁sail ors ▁in ▁the ▁n avy , ▁to ▁the ▁mer ch ants ▁who ▁drove ▁the ▁economy . ▁A ▁section ▁of ▁the ▁ag ora ▁in ▁Ath ens ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Her mai , ▁because ▁it ▁was ▁filled ▁with ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁herm s , ▁placed ▁there ▁as ▁vot ive ▁offer ings ▁by ▁mer ch ants ▁and ▁others ▁who ▁wished ▁to ▁comm emor ate ▁a ▁personal ▁success ▁in ▁commerce ▁or ▁other ▁public ▁affair . ▁The ▁Her mai ▁was ▁probably ▁destroyed ▁in ▁the ▁Sie ge ▁of ▁Ath ens ▁and ▁P ira eus ▁( 8 7 – 8 6 ▁BC ). ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁H ellen istic ▁period ▁ ▁As ▁Greek ▁culture ▁and ▁influence ▁spread ▁following ▁the ▁con quest s ▁of ▁Alexander ▁the ▁Great , ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁syn cret ism ▁or ▁interpret atio ▁gra eca ▁saw ▁many ▁traditional ▁Greek ▁de