▁were ▁both ▁psych op om ps , ▁the ▁primary ▁attribute ▁leading ▁to ▁their ▁confl ation ▁as ▁the ▁same ▁god . ▁H erman ub is ▁dep icted ▁with ▁a ▁human ▁body ▁and ▁a ▁jack al ▁head , ▁holding ▁the ▁c adu ce us . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁his ▁function ▁of ▁gu iding ▁sou ls ▁to ▁the ▁after life , ▁H erman ub is ▁represented ▁the ▁Egypt ian ▁priest hood ▁the ▁investigation ▁of ▁truth . ▁ ▁Begin ning ▁around ▁the ▁turn ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁century ▁AD , ▁a ▁process ▁began ▁by ▁which , ▁in ▁certain ▁trad itions , ▁Herm es ▁became ▁eu hem er ised ▁– ▁that ▁is , ▁interpreted ▁as ▁a ▁historical , ▁mort al ▁figure ▁who ▁had ▁become ▁divine ▁or ▁elev ated ▁to ▁god like ▁status ▁in ▁legend . ▁N umer ous ▁books ▁of ▁wisdom ▁and ▁magic ▁( including ▁ast ro log y , ▁the osoph y , ▁and ▁al ch emy ) ▁were ▁attributed ▁to ▁this ▁" histor ical " ▁Herm es , ▁usually ▁identified ▁in ▁his ▁Alexand rian ▁form ▁of ▁Herm es ▁Tr ism eg ist us . ▁As ▁a ▁collection , ▁these ▁works ▁are ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁Herm et ica . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁Though ▁worship ▁of ▁Herm es ▁had ▁been ▁almost ▁fully ▁suppress ed ▁in ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire ▁following ▁the ▁Christian ▁per sec ution ▁of ▁pag an ism ▁under ▁The odos ius ▁I ▁in ▁the ▁ 4 th ▁century ▁AD , ▁Herm es ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁recognized ▁as ▁a ▁myst ical ▁or ▁proph