RE: caduceus
A good question.
Among the ancient Greeks, the caduceus (staff surmounted by two wings,
entwined with two snakes) was carried by heralds and ambassadors as a badge
of office and a mark of personal inviolability, because it was the symbol of
Hermes, the messenger of the gods. According to Book IV of Virgil's Aeneid,
Apollo gave the staff to Hermes in return for the lyre. You are correct to
note that the staff of Asclepius, the Greek god of healing, was entwined by
a single snake -- it was also called a caduceus.
In Roman mythology the symbol is associated with the god Mercury and was
carried by Roman soldiers as a flag of truce. The staff of peace was once
borne by Roman military emissaries to signify a cessation of hostilities.
Snakes from tradition that Sesculapius, the Roman God of Medicine appeared
during a plague in Rome in the form of a snake. Ancients believed snakes
discovered the secret of eternal life, interpreting shedding of skin as a
return to youth. They also credited snakes with being able to search out
health-giving medicinal herbs. Thus, the combination of snakes as symbols of
health and the staff representing both speed and peace.
Best,
Stephanie
________________________________
Stephanie L. Murg
Center for Neurologic Diseases
Harvard Medical School
77 Avenue Louis Pasteur
Boston, MA 02116
tel: 617 493 2802
fax: 815 425 1732