In Greek mythology, Hermes served as a psychopomp, a guide who escorted souls to the Underworld.
The word psychopomp comes from Greek elements meaning “soul” and “conductor” or “guide.” Hermes’s role was not to judge the dead but to lead or accompany them on their journey after death.
This function fits Hermes’s broader identity as a god who crosses boundaries. He moves between Olympus, the mortal world, and the Underworld, and he is associated with travel, messages, commerce, and transitions.
Hermes is not the ruler of the Greek Underworld; that role belongs to Hades. Nor is he the judge of the dead. In some myths and artistic traditions, Hermes’s psychopomp function is shared or paralleled by other deities, including Charon, the ferryman.