▁among ▁them ▁soldiers ▁and ▁hun ters , ▁since ▁war ▁and ▁certain ▁forms ▁of ▁hunting ▁were ▁seen ▁as ▁cer emon ial ▁init iat ory ▁or de als . ▁This ▁function ▁of ▁Herm es ▁explains ▁why ▁some ▁images ▁in ▁tem ples ▁and ▁other ▁vessels ▁show ▁him ▁as ▁a ▁te en ager . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁patron ▁of ▁the ▁g ym ▁and ▁fighting , ▁Herm es ▁had ▁stat ues ▁in ▁g ym s ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁also ▁worship ed ▁in ▁the ▁san ctu ary ▁of ▁the ▁Tw elve ▁God s ▁in ▁Olymp ia ▁where ▁Gree ks ▁celebrated ▁the ▁Olympic ▁Games . ▁ ▁His ▁statue ▁was ▁held ▁there ▁on ▁an ▁alt ar ▁dedicated ▁to ▁him ▁and ▁Apol lo ▁together . ▁A ▁temple ▁within ▁the ▁A vent ine ▁was ▁consec r ated ▁in ▁ 4 9 5 ▁BC . ▁ ▁Sac r ific es ▁to ▁Herm es ▁involved ▁h oney , ▁c akes , ▁p igs , ▁go ats , ▁and ▁l amb s . ▁In ▁the ▁san ctu ary ▁of ▁Herm es ▁Prom ak hos ▁in ▁Tan ag ra ▁is ▁a ▁st raw berry ▁tree ▁under ▁which ▁it ▁was ▁believed ▁he ▁had ▁created , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁hills ▁Ph ene ▁ran ▁three ▁sources ▁that ▁were ▁sacred ▁to ▁him , ▁because ▁he ▁believed ▁that ▁they ▁had ▁been ▁b athed ▁at ▁birth . ▁ ▁Fest iv als ▁Herm es ' s ▁fe ast ▁was ▁the ▁Her ma ea , ▁which ▁was ▁celebrated ▁with ▁sacrific es ▁to ▁the ▁god ▁and ▁with ▁athlet ics ▁and ▁g ymn ast ics , ▁possibly