Greek
Aegis
Aegis (Αἰγίς)
Shaken, it raises storms and sends enemy armies fleeing in terror.
ArmorFirst recorded c. 750 BCE
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Photograph: A Greek or Roman bronze statuette of Hermes from around the first century. A young Hermes stands with a cloak over his shoulder; the staff he once held does not survive.
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2,250 × 3,000 PX2250×3000
ArchiveGreek · Treasure
Caduceus
Caduceus (κηρύκειον)
Reconciles enemies, puts people to sleep or wakes them, and leads the souls of the dead to the underworld.
- Owner
- Hermes, messenger of the gods
- Maker
- Apollo (by tradition)
- First record
- Homeric Hymn to Hermesc. 600 BCE
- Gallery
- Greek
Notes on the photograph 3
Story
According to the Homeric Hymn to Hermes, the newborn Hermes stole Apollo's cattle and was found out. He made peace by giving Apollo a lyre made from a tortoise shell, and Apollo gave him a golden staff in return.
Later stories tell that when Hermes held his staff between two fighting snakes, they stopped and wound around it. So the winged staff with two serpents became the emblem of heralds, truce and trade.
Hermes put people to sleep or awoke them with this staff, and led the souls of the dead to the underworld. Today it is sometimes mistakenly used as a symbol of medicine; the true symbol is the staff of Asclepius, wound with a single serpent.
The object in the photo
The photograph shows Bronze statuette of Hermes(Greek or Roman, 1st century BCE–1st century CE), a real museum object that evokes the legendary artifact.
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