Caduceus

Herald's staff entwined by two snakes, often winged — Hermes/Mercury: heralds, commerce, safe passage, guide of souls.

Tradition: greek, roman · Period: Archaic Greek (vases from 6th c. BCE); Mesopotamian antecedents · Unicode: U+2624

Note: Its use as a medical emblem (US Army Medical Corps, 1902) is a modern confusion with the rod of Asclepius.

Figures: Hermes

Sources

• Caduceus

Image: Public domain · Original: Rama Vector: Eliot Lash · source. Please keep this credit when you use it.