Caduceus

Illustration

Ibolya Horváth
by The Trustees of the British Museum
published on 31 October 2016
Caduceus Download Full Size Image

Sard gem engraved with a winged caduceus combined with a club.
Heka, the patron god of magic and medicine in Egypt was said to have killed two serpents and entwined them on a staff as a symbol of his power; this symbol of the medical arts passed to the Greeks and on to the present day. One sees the symbol of Heka in modified form, now known as the caduceus, regularly in doctor's offices as the symbol of Hippocrates, father of medicine.

Remove Ads
Advertisement

Cite This Work

APA Style

Museum, T. T. o. t. B. (2016, October 31). Caduceus. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/5987/caduceus/

Chicago Style

Museum, The Trustees of the British. "Caduceus." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified October 31, 2016. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/5987/caduceus/.

MLA Style

Museum, The Trustees of the British. "Caduceus." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 31 Oct 2016. Web. 31 Oct 2024.

Membership