Hermes Kriophoros
godAn epithet of Hermes meaning "ram-bearer," depicting the god carrying a ram on his shoulders, an image that profoundly influenced early Christian art.
The Myth
Hermes Kriophoros was worshipped as patron of shepherds and flocks, depicted carrying a ram across his shoulders. The cult was especially strong at Tanagra in Boeotia, where legend said Hermes had averted a plague by carrying a ram around the city walls. Hermes had deep pastoral connections — on the day of his birth, he stole Apollo's sacred cattle, displaying the cunning that made him patron of thieves and herdsmen alike. As the god who guided souls to the Underworld (Psychopompos) and protected travellers on roads, carrying the vulnerable to safety was central to his identity. The image of the shepherd carrying his sheep resonated powerfully across the ancient Mediterranean. Pan, the goat-legged god of flocks, was said to be his son, reinforcing the pastoral lineage.
Children
Symbols
Fun Fact
The image of Hermes carrying a ram on his shoulders was directly adopted by early Christians as the "Good Shepherd" motif. The earliest depictions of Christ in the Roman catacombs are virtually identical to statues of Hermes Kriophoros — a young, beardless figure carrying an animal across his shoulders. This pagan-to-Christian visual pipeline is one of art history's most documented cases of religious image borrowing.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
Explore Further
Hermes
godThe swift messenger of the gods and guide of souls to the underworld. Hermes was the cleverest of...
Hermes (Messenger)
godHermes was the messenger god, guide of souls, patron of travellers and thieves — the most versatile...
Hermes Psychopompos
godIn his role as Psychopompos, Hermes escorted the souls of the dead to the underworld — the only...
Apollo
godGod of light, music, poetry, and prophecy. Apollo embodied the Greek ideal of youthful masculine...
Pan
godThe goat-legged god of wilderness, shepherds, and rustic music. Pan's sudden appearance caused...
Pan (God)
godPan was the goat-legged god of the wild, shepherds, and mountain meadows whose sudden appearance...
Zeus
godSupreme ruler of the Olympian gods and lord of the sky. Zeus overthrew his father Kronos and...
Zeus (King)
godZeus was the king of the Olympian gods, ruler of the sky, wielder of the thunderbolt — the supreme...
Zeus Xenios
godAn epithet of Zeus as guardian of guests and the sacred law of hospitality (xenia), whose violation...
Hermes Trismegistus
conceptA syncretic figure combining the Greek Hermes with the Egyptian Thoth, representing ultimate...
Maia
nymphMaia was the eldest and most beautiful of the seven Pleiades, a shy mountain nymph who bore Hermes...
Apollo (Light)
godApollo was the most complex Olympian — god of light, music, poetry, prophecy, healing, plague, and...