Many of his titles show his position of authority as a governor, prince or scribe. The Egyptian designation of positions shows the Apollonian qualities that existed in their culture. It shows the value of power that was also present in Apollonian societies. .
Little is known about his origin but there are several Egyptian myths about him. One says that he is born of Horus and Set. It was believed that Set unknowingly conceived the seed of Horus by eating lettuce on which the seed had been placed. Thoth was then born of Set's forehead (3). Another version says a gold disc came out of Set's forehead, which Thoth then seized and put on his head as an ornament. This is the ornament, which Thoth is seen wearing in the book of the dead. Another belief says that Thoth was self begotten, having appeared at the dawning of time on a lotus flower (2). .
The Greeks related Thoth to their god Hermes because they were both messenger gods. Hermes was an important god in the Apollonian society of Greece. Ashmunein, the cult center for Thoth, was later renamed Hermopolis because of Greek influence (3). In Hermopolis, Thoth was worshiped as the head of an ogdoad. The ogdoad was called the Souls of Thoth and consisted of four frog-headed, male deities and four snake-headed, female deities. The idea of deities being part animal part human shows the combination of both Apollonian and Cthonian ideas which was present in Egyptian society. It combined human gods and goddesses as in Apollonian societies with animal worship found in Cthonian times. .
Hepmopolians believed that Thoth was the center of all creation and at one point this was believed throughout Egypt. This belief however, died off in the Dynastic Times. In Dynastic times he played the role of a secretary for Osiris and Ra. .
He was the divine secretary responsible for inventing writing and recording laws. He also had the control over numbers and the division of time.
