(Herʹmes).

1. One of the Christians in the congregation at Rome to whom Paul sent personal greetings.​—Ro 16:14.

2. A Greek god; the son of Zeus by Maia, identified by the Romans with their god of commerce, Mercury. Hermes was regarded as the messenger of the gods. He was believed to be the discreet counselor of the heroes and was considered to be the god of commerce, skillful speech, gymnastic skill, sleep, and dreams. It was believed that this god not only guided the living but also conducted the dead to Hades.

While the apostle Paul was at Lystra, the native people, after seeing the apostle cure a man lame from birth, identified Paul with the god Hermes, since Paul was the one “taking the lead in speaking.” (Ac 14:8-13) This identification harmonizes with their conception of Hermes as a divine messenger and a god of skillful speech. That Hermes was worshiped by the people of Lystra is indicated by the following inscription found in that vicinity in 1909: “Toues Macrinus also called Abascantus and Batasis son of Bretasis having made in accordance with a vow at their own expense [a statue of] Hermes Most Great along with a sun-dial dedicated it to Zeus the sun-god.”​—The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, edited by J. Orr, 1960, Vol. III, p. 1944.