Caduceus: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

A caduceus (kerykeion in Greek) staff with two snakes wrapped around it.

The caduceus is a symbol of commerce and is associated with the Greek god Hermes. It was originally a herald's staff, sometimes with wings, with two white ribbons attached. The ribbons eventually evolved into snakes in the figure-eight shape.

In modern times it is often mistakenly used interchangeably with the Rod of Asclepius (particularly in the United States), although the two symbols have distinct and unrelated meanings.

In Unicode, the "caduceus" symbol is U+2624 (☤).