Caduceus
Caduceus
Caduceus
1
2 2 CLASSICAL ANTIQUITY
2.2 Iconography
In some vase paintings ancient depictions of the Greek
kerukeion are somewhat dierent from the commonly
seen modern representation. These representations fea-
ture the two snakes atop the sta (or rod), crossed to cre-
ate a circle with the heads of the snakes resembling horns.
This old graphic form, with an additional crossbar to the
sta, seems to have provided the basis for the graphical
sign of Mercury () used in Greek astrology from Late
Antiquity.[21]
3 Modern use
2.1 Mythology
keeping with the association of Hermes with commerce. ing confusion it generates are well known to medical his-
In this form the sta is often depicted with two winglets torians. The long-standing and abundantly attested his-
attached and the snakes are omitted (or reduced to a torical associations of the caduceus with commerce are
small ring in the middle).[22] The Customs Service of the considered by many to be inappropriate in a symbol used
former German Democratic Republic employed the ca- by those engaged in the healing arts.[24] This has occa-
duceus, bringing its implied associations with thresholds, sioned signicant criticism of the use of the caduceus in
translators, and commerce, in the service medals they is- a medical context.
sued their sta. The caduceus is also the symbol of the
Customs Agency of Bulgaria.
4 See also
3.2 Confusion with Rod of Asclepius
Aarons rod
Main article: Caduceus as a symbol of medicine Amphisbaena
It is relatively common, especially in the United States,
Bowl of Hygieia
Nehushtan
Ningishzida
Rod of Asclepius
Serpent (symbolism)
Kundalini energy
Mithraic mysteries
5 Notes
[1] It is unclear whether the inscription refers to a pa-
tron/donor or a sculptor
[8] The name of the god Mercury cannot be disassociated [23] F.H. Garrison, The Use of the Caduceus in the Insignia
from the word merx, which means merchandise. Such of the Army Medical Ocer, in Bull. Med. Lib. Assoc.
was the sentiment of the ancients Yves Bonnefoy (Ed.), IX (1919-20), 13-16
Wendy Doniger (Trans.), Roman and European Mytholo-
gies, University of Chicago Press, 1992, p. 135; Mer- [24] Engle, Bernice (Dec 1929). The Use of Mercurys Ca-
cury was the Roman name for the Greek god Hermes. His duceus as a Medical Emblem"". The Classical Journal 25
Latin name was apparently derived from merx or merca- (1): 205.
tor, a merchant. Michael E. Bakich, The Cambridge Plan-
[25] Friedlander, Walter J (1992). The Golden Wand of
etary Handbook, Cambridge University Press, 2000, p.
Medicine: A History of the Caduceus symbol in medicine.
85; Latin merx is the root of the English words Commerce,
Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-28023-1.
Market, Mart, Mercantile, Mercenary, Mercer, Merchant
and Mercury, as can be seen by referring to any dictionary [26] An allusion to John Milton's description of Belial in
including etymological information. Paradise Lost II.113-114.
[9] Oxford Classical Dictionary, 3rd edition, Ed. Hornblower [27] Tyson, Stuart L (1932). The Caduceus. Scientic
and Spawforth, s.v. Hermes. Monthly 34 (6): 495.
[10] Farnell, The Cults of the Greek States, Vol. V, p. 20, cited
in Tyson 1932:494
6 Further reading
[11] A. L. Frothingham, Babylonian Origin of Hermes the
Snake-God, and of the Caduceus I American Journal of
Archaeology Vol. 20, No. 2 (Apr. Jun., 1916), Walter J. Friedlander, The Golden Wand of
pp. 175211 http://www.jstor.org/stable/497115 Froth- Medicine: A History of the Caduceus Symbol in
ingham characterizes Farnells simplistic view of the ori- Medicine, 1992. ISBN 0-313-28023-1; ISBN 978-
gin of the symbol as a frivolous and futile theory. 0-313-28023-8.
[12] William Hayes Ward, The Seal Cylinders of Western Asia, Bunn, J. T. Origin of the caduceus motif, JAMA,
Washington, 1910 1967. United States National Institutes of Health:
[13] A.L. Frothingham, Babylonian Origins of Hermes the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
Snake-God, and of the Caduceus, in American Journal PMID 4863068
of Archaeology, Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 175211
Burkert, Walter, Structure and History in Greek
[14] Burkert, Greek Religion 1985: II.2.8, p. 158; Burkert Mythology and Ritual, Translation, University of
notes H. Frankfort, in Iraq, 1 (1934:10) and E.D. van Bu- California, 1979.
ren, in Archiv fr Orientforschung, 10 (1935/36:53-65.
[22] For example, see the Unicode standard, where the sta
of Hermes signies a commercial term or commerce.
6 7 EXTERNAL LINKS
Rod of Asclepius
7
8.2 Images
File:Caduceus.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Caduceus.svg License: Public domain Contributors:
Drawing by Rama. Vectorized with Inkscape by Eliot Lash. Original artist: Rama and Eliot Lash
File:Commons-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: ? Contributors: ? Original
artist: ?
File:Hermes_Ingenui_Pio-Clementino_Inv544.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Hermes_Ingenui_
Pio-Clementino_Inv544.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Marie-Lan Nguyen (2009) Original artist: ?
File:Jyvskyl.vaakuna.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Jyv%C3%A4skyl%C3%A4.vaakuna.svg
License: Public domain Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Lekythos_of_Hermes.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Lekythos_of_Hermes.jpg License: CC
BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: One dead president, David Liam Moran
File:Rod_of_Asclepius2.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Rod_of_Asclepius2.svg License: CC BY-
SA 3.0 Contributors: This le was derived from: Rod of asclepius.png
Original artist:
Original: CatherinMunro
File:US_Army_Medical_Corps_Branch_Plaque.gif Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/US_Army_
Medical_Corps_Branch_Plaque.gif License: Public domain Contributors: US Government Original artist: USG
File:Wikisource-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Contributors: Rei-artur Original artist: Nicholas Moreau
File:Wiktionary-logo-en.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Wiktionary-logo-en.svg License: Public
domain Contributors: Vector version of Image:Wiktionary-logo-en.png. Original artist: Vectorized by Fvasconcellos (talk contribs),
based on original logo tossed together by Brion Vibber
File:Winged_goddess_Cdm_Paris_392.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Winged_goddess_Cdm_
Paris_392.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Jastrow (2006). Image renamed from Image:Winged Nike CdM.jpg Original artist:
English: Providence Painter