Hermas
Her'mas
( ῾Ερμᾶς, from ῾Ερμῆς, the Greek god of gain, or Mercury), the name of a person to whom Paul sends greeting in his Epistle to the Romans (16:14), and consequently then resident in Rome and a Christian (A.D. 55); and yet the origin of the name, like that of the other four mentioned in the same verse, is Greek. However, in those days. even a Jew, like Paul himself, might acquire Roman citizenship. Ireneeus, Tertullian, and Origen agree in making him identical with the author of "the Shepherd" of the following article, but this is greatly disputed. He is celebrated as a saint in the Roman calendar on May 9. — Smith, s.v.
