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56-612: Some accounts assert that the oldest imagery of the caduceus is rooted in Mesopotamia with the Sumerian god Ningishzida ; his symbol, a staff with two snakes intertwined around it, dates back to 4000 BC to 3000 BC. This iconography may have been a representation of two snakes copulating. As a symbol, it represents Hermes (or the Roman Mercury), and by extension trades, occupations, or undertakings associated with

112-461: A bust of Hermes' head, usually with a beard , sat on the top of the pillar, and male genitals adorned the base. The surmounting heads were not, however, confined to those of Hermes; those of other gods and heroes, and even of distinguished mortals, were of frequent occurrence. In this case a compound was formed: Hermathena (a herm of Athena), Hermares (of Ares), Hermherakles (of Herakles), Hermaphroditus (of Aphrodite—not to be confused with

168-515: A degree of relevance in the local pantheon. Much like in the case of his father, some of them used the dialectical Emesal form of his name, Umun-muzida. It is presumed that the cause of this was the role lamentation priests, who traditionally memorized Emesal compositions, played in the preservation of cults of underworld gods in Ur. As early as the Ur III period, Ningishzida was introduced to Uruk . He

224-562: A golden key. The emblem of the Federal Customs Service of Russia has a caduceus crossing with a torch on the shield. The coat of arms of Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics of Ukraine has two crossed torches surmounted by a caduceus on the shield. It is relatively common, especially in the United States, to find the caduceus, with its two snakes and wings, (mis)used as a symbol of medicine instead of

280-492: A title of Geshtinanna, attested in contexts where she was identified as Ningishzida's wife. At the same time, Belet-Seri could also function as an epithet of Ashratum , the wife of Amurru , or of her Sumerian counterpart Gubarra, in at least one case leading to conflation of Amurru and Ningishzida and to an association between the former and Azimua and Ekurritum. In one case Ekurritum was simply identified as an alternate name of Ashratum as well. The tradition in which Gesthinanna

336-428: A tortoise shell, which Hermes kindly gave to him. Apollo in return gave Hermes the caduceus as a gesture of friendship. The association with the serpent thus connects Hermes to Apollo , as later the serpent was associated with Asclepius , the "son of Apollo". The association of Apollo with the serpent is a continuation of the older Indo-European dragon -slayer motif. Wilhelm Heinrich Roscher (1913) pointed out that

392-476: Is a memorial to Hipparchus: Don't deceive a friend" (229a–b). Socrates is making fun of Hipparchus, and his interlocutor, by this account. The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles has a large collection of Roman Herma boundary marker stones in its stored collection. An Aesop's fable makes fun of a statue of Hermes . When a pious dog offers to "anoint" it, the god hastily assures his worshipper that this

448-498: Is a sculpture with a head and perhaps a torso above a plain, usually squared lower section, on which male genitals may also be carved at the appropriate height. Hermae were so called either because the head of Hermes was most common or from their etymological connection with the Greek word ἕρματα ( hérmata , meaning 'blocks of stone'), which originally had no reference to Hermes at all. The form originated in ancient Greece , and

504-447: Is named a participant in a festival celebrating the marriage between Ningirsu and Bau . In another, he is credited with helping Gudea with building new temples. In a later incantation which served as a part of temple renovation rituals, referred to as The First Brick by Wilfred G. Lambert, Ningishzida is mentioned in a similar context alongside many other deities, such as Lisin , Gukishbanda, Kulla , Lahar and Ninshar. In Ur he

560-491: The Porcellino bronze boar of Florence (and numerous others like it around the world), where the nose is shiny from being continually touched for good luck or fertility. In Roman and Renaissance versions ( termini ), the body was often shown from the waist up. The form was also used for portrait busts of famous public figures, especially writers like Socrates and Plato . Anonymous female figures were often used from

616-750: The Maurya Empire in India, in the third or second century BC. Numismatic research suggest that this symbol was the symbol of the Buddhist king Ashoka , his personal " Mudra ". This symbol was not used on the pre-Mauryan punch-marked coins, but only on coins of the Maurya period, together with the three arched-hill symbol , the "peacock on the hill", the triskelis and the Taxila mark. It also appears carved in basalt rock in few temples of western ghats. During

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672-661: The Renaissance on, when herms were often attached to walls as decoration. In 415 BC, on a night shortly before the Athenian fleet was about to set sail for Syracuse as part of the Sicilian Expedition of the Peloponnesian War , all of the Athenian hermai were vandalized. Many people at the time thought such an impious act would threaten the success of the expedition. Though it was never proven,

728-507: The Rod of Asclepius , which has only one snake and no wings, is the traditional and more widely used symbol of medicine, the caduceus is sometimes used by healthcare organizations. Given that the caduceus is primarily a symbol of commerce and other non-medical symbology, many healthcare professionals disapprove of this use. The Homeric hymn to Hermes relates how his half brother Apollo was enchanted by Hermes's music from his lyre fashioned from

784-408: The Rod of Asclepius , with only a single snake. This usage was popularized by the adoption of the caduceus as its insignia by the U.S. Army Medical Corps in 1902 at the insistence of a single officer (though there are conflicting claims as to whether this was Capt. Frederick P. Reynolds or Col. John R. van Hoff). The Rod of Asclepius is the dominant symbol for professional healthcare associations in

840-446: The caduceator who negotiated peace arrangements under the diplomatic protection of the caduceus he carried. In some vase paintings ancient depictions of the Greek kerukeion are somewhat different from the commonly seen modern representation. These representations feature the two snakes atop the staff (or rod), crossed to create a circle with the heads of the snakes resembling horns. This old graphic form, with an additional crossbar to

896-399: The early modern period , the caduceus was used as a symbol of rhetoric (associated with Mercury's eloquence). A simplified caduceus is found in dictionaries, as a "commercial term" entirely in keeping with the association of Hermes with commerce. In this form the staff is often depicted with two winglets and the snakes omitted or reduced to a small ring in the middle. The customs service of

952-429: The gymnasia , palaestrae , libraries, porticoes , and public places, at the corners of streets, on high roads as sign-posts, with distances inscribed upon them. Before his role as protector of merchants and travelers, Hermes was a phallic god , associated with fertility, luck, roads and borders. His name perhaps comes from the word herma , referring to a square or rectangular pillar of stone, terracotta , or bronze;

1008-484: The Ancient Near East. It has been argued that the staff or wand entwined by two snakes was itself representing a god in the pre-anthropomorphic era. Like the herm or priapus , it would thus be a predecessor of the anthropomorphic Hermes of the classical era. William Hayes Ward (1910) discovered that symbols similar to the classical caduceus sometimes appeared on Mesopotamian cylinder seals . He suggested

1064-493: The Athenians at the time believed it was the work of saboteurs, either from Syracuse or Spartan sympathizers from Athens itself; one suspect was the writer Xenophon . Enemies of Alcibiades , using the anger of the Athenians as a pretext to investigate further desecrations, accused him of other acts of impiety, including mutilations of other sacred objects and mocking performances of religious mystery ceremonies. He denied

1120-609: The Desert by the Early Grass" lists both of them among the mourned deities. The absence of both of them was believed to take place each year between mid-summer and mid-winter. The association is also present in astrological treatises. Some lamentations go as far as regarding Ningishzida and Dumuzi as one and the same. As dwellers of the underworld, both of them could be on occasion associated with Gilgamesh as well. Another temporarily dying god Ningishzida could be associated with

1176-529: The Middle Babylonian myth of Adapa , Ningishzida is one of the two doorkeepers of Anu's celestial palace, alongside Dumuzi. This myth appears to indicate that these two gods are present in heaven rather than underworld when they are dead, even though other Sumerian and Akkadian myths describe Ningishzida's journey to the underworld. Little is known about the circumstances of his annual return, though one text indicates an unidentified son of Ereshkigal

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1232-583: The Underworld god Ningishzida , "messenger" of the "Earth Mother". The caduceus is mentioned in passing by Walter Burkert as "really the image of copulating snakes taken over from Ancient Near Eastern tradition". In Egyptian iconography, the Djed pillar is depicted as containing a snake in a frieze of the Dendera Temple complex . The caduceus also appears as a symbol of the punch-marked coins of

1288-420: The United States. One survey found that 62% of professional healthcare associations used the rod of Asclepius as their symbol. The same survey found that 76% of commercial healthcare organizations use the caduceus. The author of the study suggests that professional associations are more likely to have a historical understanding of the two symbols, whereas commercial organizations are more likely to be concerned with

1344-404: The accusations and offered to stand trial, but the Athenians did not want to disrupt the expedition any further, and his opponents wanted to use his absence to incite the people against him at a time when he would not be able to defend himself. Once he had left on the expedition, his political enemies had him charged and sentenced to death in absentia , both for the mutilation of the hermai, and

1400-444: The beer goddess Ninkasi , while one of his titles was "lord of the innkeepers." Like his father Ninazu, he was also associated with snakes, including the mythical mushussu , ushumgal and bashmu and in one case Nirah . He was also an underworld god, and in this role was known as the "chair bearer (or chamberlain) of the underworld." Frans Wiggermann on the basis of these similarities considers him and his father to be members of

1456-450: The dead, they returned to life. By extension of its association with Mercury and Hermes, the caduceus is also a symbol of commerce and negotiation, two realms in which exchange balanced by reciprocity is recognized as an ideal. This association is ancient, and consistent from classical antiquity to modernity. The caduceus is also a symbol of printing, by extension of the attributes of Mercury associated with writing and eloquence. Although

1512-477: The existence of an alternate tradition where he was the son of the sky god. Multiple traditions existed regarding the identity of Ningishzida's wife, with the god list An = Anum listing two, Azimua (elsewhere also called Ninazimua ) and Ekurritum (not attested in such a role anywhere else ), while other sources favor Geshtinanna , identified with Belet-Seri . However, Azimua shared Gesthinanna's role as an underworld scribe, and her name could also function as

1568-457: The former German Democratic Republic demonstrated the caduceus' association with thresholds, translators, and commerce in the service medals issued to their staff. The caduceus is also the symbol of the customs agency of Bulgaria and of the financial administration of the Slovakia (Tax and Customs administration). The emblems of Belarus Customs and China Customs are a caduceus crossing with

1624-411: The god. In later Antiquity , the caduceus provided the basis for the astronomical symbol for planet Mercury . Thus, through its use in astrology , alchemy , and astronomy it has come to denote the planet Mercury and by extension the eponymous planetary metal . It is said that the wand would wake the sleeping and send the awake to sleep. If applied to the dying, their death was gentle; if applied to

1680-578: The good tree." This translation is still accepted by other Assyriologists today. Various syllabic spellings are known, including Ni-gi-si-da , Nin-nigi-si-da , Nin-ki-zi-da and Nin-gi-iz-zi-da . While " nin " can be translated as "lady" in some contexts, it was grammatically neutral in Sumerian and can be found in the names of many deities, both male (Ningishzida, Ninazu , Ninurta , etc.) and female ( Ninlil , Ninkasi etc.). Ningishzida could also be called Gishbanda ("little tree"). Ningishzida's titles connect him to plants and agriculture. He

1736-428: The group of " Transtigridian snake gods," who according to him shared a connection with the underworld, justice, vegetation and snakes. A further similarity between Ningishzida and his father was his occasional role as a warrior god, associated with victory (and as a result with the goddess Irnina , the personification of it). However, not all of their functions overlapped, as unlike Ninazu, Ningishzida never appears in

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1792-585: The market-place Hermes was perhaps above all else the patron of commerce and the fat purse: as a corollary, he was the special protector of the traveling salesman. As spokesman for the gods, he not only brought peace on earth (occasionally even the peace of death), but his silver-tongued eloquence could always make the worse appear the better cause. From this latter point of view, would not his symbol be suitable for certain Congressmen, all medical quacks, book agents and purveyors of vacuum cleaners, rather than for

1848-486: The meeting of roads, is shown by the custom of each passer-by throwing a stone on to the heap or anointing it with oil. Later there was the addition of a head and phallus to the column, which became quadrangular (the number four was sacred to Hermes ). In ancient Greece the statues were thought to ward off harm or evil, an apotropaic function, and were placed at crossings, country borders and boundaries as protection, in front of temples, near to tombs, outside houses, in

1904-570: The role of a divine healer. According to Frans Wiggermann, Ningishzida's diverse functions can be considered different aspects of his perception as a "reliable god," well attested in Mesopotamian texts. The constellation Hydra could serve as his symbol, though it was also associated with Ishtaran and Ereshkigal. The worship of Ningishzida is attested for the first time in the Early Dynastic III period . His main cult center

1960-417: The serpent as an attribute of both Hermes and Asclepius is a variant of the "pre-historic semi-chthonic serpent hero known at Delphi as Python ", who in classical mythology is slain by Apollo. One Greek myth of origin of the caduceus is part of the story of Tiresias , who found two snakes copulating and killed the female with his staff. Tiresias was immediately turned into a woman, and so remained until he

2016-416: The son of Hermes and Aphrodite with the same name, Hermaphroditus , who had the genitals of both sexes), Hermanubis , Hermalcibiades , and so on. In Athens , where the hermai were most numerous and most venerated, they were placed outside houses as apotropes for good luck . They would be rubbed or anointed with olive oil and adorned with garlands or wreaths . This superstition persists, for example

2072-558: The staff, seems to have provided the basis for the graphical sign of Mercury (☿) used in Greek astrology from Late Antiquity. The term kerukeion denoted any herald's staff, not necessarily associated with Hermes in particular. In his study of the cult of Hermes, Lewis Richard Farnell (1909) assumed that the two snakes had simply developed out of ornaments of the shepherd's crook used by heralds as their staff. This view has been rejected by later authors pointing to parallel iconography in

2128-640: The straight-thinking, straight-speaking therapeutist? As conductor of the dead to their subterranean abode, his emblem would seem more appropriate on a hearse than on a physician's car. For use in documents prepared on computer, the symbol has code point in Unicode , at U+2624 ☤ CADUCEUS . There is a similar glyph encoded at U+269A ⚚ STAFF OF HERMES , an alchemical symbol at U+1F750 🝐 ALCHEMICAL SYMBOL FOR CADUCEUS , and an astrological one at U+2BDA ⯚ HYGIEA . [For information on how to enter

2184-587: The supposedly related crime of profaning the Eleusinian Mysteries . In Plato's Hipparchus , Socrates attributes the existence of these statues to Hipparchus. They were meant to educate the people in the country, outside of Athens, and make them admire Hipparchus' wisdom over the wisdom of the Delphic inscriptions. Hence he ordered the carvings of the following two inscriptions: "This is a memorial to Hipparchus: Walk thinking just thoughts" and "This

2240-458: The symbol originated some time between 3000 and 4000 BC, and that it might have been the source of the Greek caduceus. A.L. Frothingham incorporated Ward's research into his own work, published in 1916, in which he suggested that the prototype of Hermes was an "Oriental deity of Babylonian extraction" represented in his earliest form as a snake god. From this perspective, the caduceus was originally representative of Hermes himself, in his early form as

2296-408: The symbol, see Unicode input (or copy/paste it directly).] These symbols are not provided in all fonts , especially older ones. The symbol is depicted on multiple coats of arms and flags . Ningishzida Ningishzida ( Sumerian : 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒄑𒍣𒁕 NIN.G̃IŠ.ZID.DA, possible meaning "Lord [of the] Good Tree") was a Mesopotamian deity of vegetation , the underworld and sometimes war. He

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2352-516: The visual impact a symbol will have on its sales. The long-standing historical association of the caduceus with commerce has engendered significant criticism of its use in medicine. Medical professionals argue that the Rod of Asclepius better represents the field of medicine. Writing in the journal Scientific Monthly , Stuart L. Tyson said of the Staff of Hermes (the caduceus): As god of the high-road and

2408-420: Was Damu . In some inscriptions of Gudea, Ningishzida was associated with Ningirsu, with one of them mentioning that he was tasked with delivering gifts for the latter's wife Bau. Such a role was customarily associated with trusted associates and close friends in ancient Mesopotamian culture, indicating that despite originally being unrelated, these two gods were envisioned as close to each other by Gudea. In

2464-648: Was Gishbanda, likely a rural settlement located somewhere between Lagash and Ur . His main temple was known simply as E-Gishbanda, "house of Gishbanda," and it was commonly listed alongside the main temple of his father Ninazu, E-Gidda. He also had a temple in Lagash, the E-badbarra, "house, outer wall." Yet another one was built in Girsu by Gudea, though its name is unknown. This ruler considered him to be his personal god. In one of his inscriptions, Ningishzida

2520-433: Was Ningishzida's wife had its origin in Lagash, and in seals from that city she is sometimes depicted alongside a mushussu, symbol of her husband, to indicate they're a couple. One inscription of Gudea refers to her as Ningishzida's "beloved wife." Ningishzida's sukkal was Alla , a minor underworld god, depicted as a bald beardless man, without the horned crown associated with divinity. Wilfred G. Lambert notes that he

2576-432: Was able to repeat the act with the male snake seven years later. This staff later came into the possession of the god Hermes, along with its transformative powers. Another myth suggests that Hermes (or Mercury) saw two serpents entwined in mortal combat. Separating them with his wand he brought about peace between them, and as a result the wand with two serpents came to be seen as a sign of peace. In Rome, Livy refers to

2632-513: Was adopted by the Romans (called mercuriae), and revived at the Renaissance in the form of term figures and atlantes . In the earliest times Greek divinities were worshipped in the form of a heap of stones or a shapeless column of stone or wood. In many parts of Greece there were piles of stones by the sides of roads, especially at their crossings, and on the boundaries of lands . The religious respect paid to such heaps of stones, especially at

2688-592: Was also present in Kamada, possibly located nearby, as attested in documents from the reign of Sin-kashid . During the reign of Marduk-apla-iddina I, he was worshiped in a chapel in the Eanna complex that was originally built during the reign of the Old Babylonian king Anam. He continued to appear in theophoric names from neo-Assyrian , neo-Babylonian and Hellenistic Uruk, though only uncommonly. Ningishzida

2744-478: Was also worshipped in Isin , which was primarily the cult center of the medicine goddess Ninisina , but had multiple houses of worship dedicated to underworld deities as well. Other deities worshipped at Isin included Nergal , Ugur , and an otherwise unknown but most likely chthonic goddess, Lakupittu, who according to Andrew R. George was likely the tutelary deity of Lagaba near Kutha. Further locations where he

2800-494: Was commonly associated with snakes. Like Dumuzi , he was believed to spend a part of the year in the land of the dead. He also shared many of his functions with his father Ninazu . In myths he usually appears in an underworld setting, though in the myth of Adapa he is instead described as one of the doorkeepers of the sky god Anu. Thorkild Jacobsen proposed that the Sumerian name Ningishzida can be explained as "lord of

2856-432: Was frequently mentioned in connection with grass, which he was believed to provide for domestic animals. The death of vegetation was associated with his annual travel to the underworld. The "tree" in his name might be vine according to some Assyriologists, including Wilfred G. Lambert , and an association between him and alcoholic beverages (specifically wine ) is well attested, for example one text mentions him alongside

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2912-610: Was most likely another Dumuzi -like deity whose temporary death was described in laments. He is also attested in lists of so-called "seven conquered Enlils," deities associated with Enmesharra . Another deity also identified as Ningishzida's sukkal was Ipahum or Ippu, a viper god, also known as the sukkal of his father Ninazu. Other deities who belonged to his court include Gishbandagirizal, Lugalsaparku, Lugalshude, Namengarshudu, Usheg and Irnina. Ningishzida could be associated with Dumuzi, on account of their shared character as dying gods of vegetation. A lamentation text known as "In

2968-596: Was responsible for ordering it. A reference to Ningishzida is present in the Epic of Gilgamesh . The eponymous hero's mother Ninsun mentions to Shamash that she is aware her son is destined to "dwell in the land of no return" with him. In another Gilgamesh myth, Death of Gilgamesh , the hero is promised a position in the underworld equal to that of Ningishzida. Herma A herma ( Ancient Greek : ἑρμῆς , plural ἑρμαῖ hermai ), commonly herm in English,

3024-400: Was the son of Ninazu and his wife Ningiridda. One of the only references to goddesses breastfeeding in Mesopotamian literature is a description of Ningirida and her son. His sisters were Amashilama and Labarshilama. References to Ningishzida as a "scion" of Anu are probably meant to indicate the belief in a line consisting out of Anu, Enlil , Ninazu and finally Ningishzida, rather than

3080-487: Was worshiped in the temple E-niggina, "house of truth," known from an inscription of Sin-Iqisham stating it was rebuilt during his reign. He is attested in offering lists from that city from the Ur III and Old Babylonian periods, sometimes alongside Ningubalaga. In later sources, up to the reign of the Persian emperor Darius I , he sometimes appears in theophoric names , likely due to association with Ninazu, who retained

3136-573: Was worshipped include Umma , Larsa , Kuara , Nippur , Babylon , Eshnunna and Kisurra . From most of these places, evidence is only available from the Ur III or Old Babylonian periods, though in Babylon he still had a small cult site in Esagil by the neo-Babylonian period. A single object inscribed with a dedication to Ningishzida is also known from Susa , though it might have been brought there as booty from some Mesopotamian polity. Ningishzida

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