Cult Classic

Question: The rod and snake—which has become a universal symbol of healing—is associated with what famous ancient Greek physician?

Answer: Asclepius.

Have you ever wondered where that ubiquitous healthcare symbol came from—the one with a snake wrapped around a fancy pole? Or for that matter, why the healing arts would want to be associated with a deadly snake in the first place. You may even have spotted two snakes entwined around a pole, but we’ll get to that later. The iconic symbol depicting a single serpent coiled around a staff is called the Rod of Asclepius.

The owner of that rod, Asclepius, was the ancient Greek god of medicine and healing. While Asclepius may or may not have been based on a real person, the story goes that he was the son of Apollo and a mortal princess from Thessaly—which made him one of only a handful of figures worshipped as both a hero and a god in ancient Greece. He was said to possess exceptional talents for healing the sick and was even able to cure patients who were already dead. That part didn’t go well with the pantheon of gods, however—especially Hades, who felt that if Asclepius could cure the dead, he would see a decline in the number of spirits descending into the underworld. Hades then convinced his brother Zeus to kill Asclepius—which he did with a thunderbolt.

But following the death of Asclepius, his stock began to rise. People in the ancient Greek world soon came to regard the benevolent healer as one of their most important gods. As the cult of Asclepius grew, temples and healing centers were constructed throughout the Mediterranean. Called "Asclepieions," these temple complexes also became places of learning for future physicians. Marcus Aurelius, Galen, and Hippocrates (the father of western medicine) were all said to have received their medical training at one of these Asclepieions during their lifetime.

Okay, but that still doesn’t explain the snake…
Just like in ancient Egypt, the snake was considered a symbol of immortality in the Greek world. It makes sense too, when you think about the way it sloughs its skin off and appears to begin a new life. So, serpent imagery became associated with things like health, resurrection, the afterlife, and eternal youth. Of course, they could kill you too.

With that in mind, there are three interesting theories as to the origins of that single serpent coiled around the Rod of Asclepius. One is simply that it symbolizes getting bitten by a poisonous snake, something that was very difficult to cure in antiquity and often meant an agonizing death. Asclepius, however, apparently had the power to heal even the most venomous snake bites.

Another is rooted in the Old Testament. After God had sent down "fiery serpents" as punishment to Israelites, He commanded Moses to erect a bronze pole with a serpent wrapped around it. Those who had been bitten—but repented—could glance at the bronze staff to be healed of the snake’s venom. Presumably, those who hadn’t repented were out of luck.

And then there’s the "worm theory." One of the first ancient Egyptian medical documents (a papyrus dating to about 1,500 BC), describes the medical treatment for a common ailment in ancient times—parasitic worms. In an infected person, things like Guinea worms would crawl around the body, just under the skin. To treat this, physicians would cut a slit in a patient’s skin, directly in front of the worm’s path. Then, as the worm crawled out of the cut, the physician would carefully wind it around a stick until the entire worm had been removed. And at the end of the procedure, the physician would be left holding a stick that looked an awful lot like the Rod of Asclepius.

Medical mix-up
Whatever its origins, Asclepius is usually depicted bare-chested, wearing a long tunic, and holding a large staff with a snake wrapped around it—and that solo serpent has been associated with healing up to the present day. But there is another symbol of the ancient world that is often confused with the Rod of Asclepius. Known as the Caduceus, it depicts two serpents coiled around a staff that is often topped with wings—unlike the Rod of Asclepius, which is entwined with one serpent. The Caduceus is the staff of Hermes, the messenger god. It is related to trade and commerce and has nothing to do with medicine. But due to its visual similarities to the Rod of Asclepius, the Caduceus has often been incorrectly used as a medical symbol.

It seems that in the early 1900s, an assistant surgeon in the Army Medical Corps started it all by mistakenly affixing the wrong symbol on their uniforms, where it has remained ever since. The Caduceus also appears on the flag of the U.S. Surgeon General. Despite having no historical connection to medicine, the Caduceus was once displayed by over three-quarters of the hospitals in the U.S. A survey also revealed that just 6% of U.S. doctors were aware that the Rod of Asclepius was the true symbol of healing.

But not everyone gets it wrong. The British Medical Association and World Health Organization correctly use the Rod of Asclepius in their logos. And organizations that use the Caduceus correctly (and there aren’t many) include the Customs Agency of Bulgaria, the Financial Administration of the Slovak Republic, and Chinese Customs.

More Fun Facts About Asclepius and his Rod (A-Rod to his friends):

• Healing ran in the family—The many offspring of Asclepius included two daughters whose names live on in the field of health and healing. One was Hygieia, the goddess of cleanliness, which gave us the word "hygiene." Another was Panacea, the goddess of universal remedy or "cure all," which gave us, well, you know …


• The doctor may or may not be with you—Asclepeions included a reserved area where patients would spend the night in the hope that Asclepius would appear in their dreams and indicate the correct treatment for their illness.


• But they don’t have any arms!—A type of non-venomous snake (Aesculapian snakes) was present in many of the shrines of Greek healing centers that were said to have assisted with the cures that took place here.


• Here’s what they got right—While it’s easy to criticize some of the spiritual elements of curing and healing that took place during the time of Asclepius, it should be noted that the focus of these healing centers was on improving diet, getting exercise, and embracing a healthy lifestyle—which we now know to be mainstays of preventive medicine.

Visit Epidaurus, the birthplace of Asclepius, on the Athens & the Peloponnese post-trip extension of our Hidden Gems of the Dalmatian Coast & Greece adventure.