Quiz on Greek Mythology - Democratic Underground

Lionel Mandrake

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Tue Jan-11-11 09:08 PM
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Quiz on Greek Mythology

One of these is a symbol of medicine and healing; the other is a symbol of commerce. Do you know which is which?

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mix

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Tue Jan-11-11 09:11 PM
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1. Asclepius, the second one nt

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Lionel Mandrake

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Tue Jan-11-11 09:42 PM
Response to Reply #1

2. Yep.

The second one is the rod of Asclepius.

It has ONE snake and NO WINGS.

What about the first one?

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Duer 157099

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Tue Jan-11-11 09:45 PM
Response to Reply #2

3. Caduceus

The staff of Hermes

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UTUSN

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Tue Jan-11-11 09:48 PM
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4. Yes, I do, but I don't need to tell everything. n/t

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Duer 157099

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Tue Jan-11-11 09:50 PM
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5. It's ironic but fitting that the symbol for commerce is now used for medicine

Maybe it wasn't an error after all.

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Lionel Mandrake

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Tue Jan-11-11 10:20 PM
Response to Reply #5

8. Heh heh.

I hadn't thought of it that way. :evilgrin:

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kentauros

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Tue Jan-11-11 10:19 PM
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6. "Caduceus" is latin, i.e., Roman ;)

This is the Greek origin for the "Kerykeion" according to the following site of Hellenic Polytheism :)

kerykeion (Roman: caduceus) - The kerykeion is the herald's staff used in times of war. It is usually thought of as the herald's staff of Hermes. It consists of a staff with two intertwined snakes at the top, and often (but not always) crowned with a pair of wings.

The kerykeion is the scepter of Phanes that unites the three worlds, Earth, the Middle Sky, and Olympus. Phanes is controlled by Zeus; he therefore holds the scepter of Phanes. Zeus gave the kerykeion to Apollo. Apollo gave it to Hermes. But the kerykeion is the symbol of Zeus, his power which unites and divides.

I have to wonder, too, if Kheiron, the "grandfather" of medicine, had a staff from which Asklepios was inspired to make his one-snake staff...

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Lionel Mandrake

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Thu Jan-13-11 12:54 AM
Response to Reply #6

11. Did Kheiron have a staff?

Paintings of Kheiron are found on ancient pottery, often with Achilles, but never (as far as I know) with a staff.

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david13

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Tue Jan-11-11 10:19 PM
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7. I don't know. And I have yet to figure out if Prometheus is supposed

to be bound, or unbound.
And why.
And why, if Zeus wanted to destroy mankind, why did he not? Or has he left the mortals to their own self destruction.
dc

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petronius

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Wed Jan-12-11 01:30 AM
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9. I have heard suppositions that the 'snake on a stick' symbol might have its origin

in the method of removing a guinea worm from the skin of a victim...

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Lionel Mandrake

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Wed Jan-12-11 02:20 AM
Response to Reply #9

10. That seems unlikely.

The staff of Asclepius is always depicted as rather large; it rests on the ground and comes up to Asclepius's waist, or higher. The snake that curls around the staff is quite thick - not at all like a guinea worm.

In the cult of Asclepius as practiced at Epidaurus (in southern Greece), the snakes were part of the cure, not part of the disease.

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