▁are ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁c . ▁ 7 th ▁century ▁BC ▁H omer ic ▁H ym ns . ▁In ▁H omer ic ▁H ymn ▁ 4 ▁to ▁Herm es ▁describes ▁the ▁god ' s ▁birth ▁and ▁his ▁the ft ▁of ▁Apol lo ' s ▁sacred ▁cattle . ▁In ▁this ▁h ymn , ▁Herm es ▁is ▁invoked ▁as ▁a ▁god ▁" of ▁many ▁sh ifts " ▁( pol yt ro pos ), ▁associated ▁with ▁c unning ▁and ▁th ie very , ▁but ▁also ▁a ▁br inger ▁of ▁dream s ▁and ▁a ▁night ▁guard ian . ▁He ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁invent ed ▁the ▁ch ely s ▁ly re , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁racing ▁and ▁the ▁sport ▁of ▁wrest ling . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Class ical ▁period ▁ ▁The ▁cult ▁of ▁Herm es ▁fl our ished ▁in ▁Att ica , ▁and ▁many ▁sch ol ars ▁writing ▁before ▁the ▁discovery ▁of ▁the ▁Linear ▁B ▁evidence ▁considered ▁Herm es ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁uniqu ely ▁A then ian ▁god . ▁This ▁region ▁had ▁numerous ▁Her mai , ▁or ▁pill ar - like ▁icons , ▁dedicated ▁to ▁the ▁god ▁mark ing ▁boundaries , ▁cross ro ads , ▁and ▁entry ways . ▁These ▁were ▁initially ▁stone ▁p iles , ▁later ▁pill ars ▁made ▁of ▁wood , ▁stone , ▁or ▁bronze , ▁with ▁car ved ▁images ▁of ▁Herm es , ▁a ▁ph all us , ▁or ▁both . ▁In ▁the ▁context ▁of ▁these ▁herm s , ▁by ▁the ▁Class ical ▁period ▁Herm es ▁had ▁come ▁to ▁be ▁worship ed ▁as ▁the