Who was the Roman god of merchants, travelers, and thieves?

The Roman god of merchants, travelers, and thieves was Mercury.

Mercury was a major Roman deity of commerce, communication, travel, luck, trickery, and financial gain. His name is probably connected with Latin merx, meaning merchandise, as well as words related to trade and wages. He was commonly depicted with winged sandals or a winged hat and carrying the caduceus, a herald’s staff.

Romans identified Mercury closely with the Greek Hermes and with the Etruscan Turms. Like Hermes, he served as a messenger and could guide souls to the underworld. His flexible role connected respectable commerce with the cunning and deception associated with thieves, making him a fitting patron for merchants and travelers alike.

Mercury’s temple at Rome was dedicated on May 15, 495 BC, near the Circus Maximus, an important commercial and public area. His festival, the Mercuralia, was held on May 15. He is not Vulcan, the smithing god, or Janus, the god of doors and beginnings.