Hermes is a vital and complex figure in Greek mythology--trickster and culture hero, divine child and patron of stealthy action, master of magic words, seducer and whisperer. Shepherd, artisan, herald, musician, athlete, merchant--who is this tricky shape-shifter, confronting us at every turn? In this classic, prescient work (first published in 1947 and foreshadowing all subsequent work greeting the return of the gods), Brown asks: Is Hermes the Thief the prototype from which, by extension and analogy, the Trickster was derived? Alternatively, is the notion of trickery the fundamental idea and theft merely a specific manifestation of it? This thoughtful study will be of interest to anyone wishing a fresh view of an important, often misunderstood, character of Greek mythology.