caduceus

caduceus, staff carried by Hermes, the messenger of the gods, as a symbol of peace. Among the ancient Greeks and Romans it became the badge of heralds and ambassadors, signifying their inviolability. Originally the caduceus was a rod or olive branch ending in two shoots and decorated with garlands or ribbons. Later the garlands were interpreted as two snakes entwined in opposite directions with their heads facing; and a pair of wings, in token of Hermes’ speed, was attached to the staff above the snakes. Its similarity to the rod of Asclepius (a staff branched at the top and entwined by a single serpent, named for the Greco-Roman god of medicine) resulted in modern times in the adoption of the caduceus in some medical contexts and as the emblem of the U.S. Marine Hospital Service and the U.S. Army Medical Corps.