The Snake of Asclepius

 

The Snake is associated with Asclepius, the ancient Greek God of Health and Medicine. Asclepius, the son of Apollo and the mortal Coronis, almost always appears in Greek mythology together with a serpent.

 

Asclepius is said to have resurrected Glaucus, the beloved son of Minos, King of Crete, in his "dispensary" at Epidaurus, after observing how a snake resurrected another snake, which he had just killed, by biting it and essentially injecting it with a small amount of its venom (perhaps the first therapeutic "injection" in human history). This observation led him to prepare a substance, a medicine, from the venom of the snake, with which he managed to resurrect Glaucus, who was dying of drowning. He did not have much to lose anyway.

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Since then Asclepius and the Snake became inseparable. So inseparable that it is often mentioned that Asclepius himself was often transformed into a snake and sometimes even healed by taking the form of a snake. He would come out of the 'avaton' where he rested (or contemplated what treatment he would give), perform the necessary treatments and then return to it.

 

In fact, according to one version, the name Asclepius itself comes from the Greek word "Ασκάλαβος" (reptile, a kind of lizard with scaly skin) and the word "ήπιος" (mild-mannered).

 

​Asclepius is also often described as carrying a rod (bacterium) with a snake coiled around it, but this is not exactly the rod contained in our logo (explanation below).

 

The Caduceus of Hermes

 

The caduceus was the symbol of the ancient Greek God Hermes. The caduceus was created by Hermes or, according to others, by the famous clairvoyant Tiresias, while trying to separate 2 snakes that were fighting each other, thus symbolizing the cessation of discord and the prevalence of unity. The caduceus of Hermes is very similar to the Asclepius bacterium, while some go so far as to discover in the 2 symbols the first depiction of the double helix of DNA and the genetic code, highlighting them as primordial symbols of existence and life itself.

 

For some, they simply resemble the number 8 or even the Greek letter Φ. These in turn refer to various formations in nature, from the geometric structure of crystals, the distribution of leaves on plant stems and the shape of shellfish to the proportions of the human body , architectural shapes and galaxy spirals. Indicators of harmony and "golden balance" or "golden ratio", that is, common to the microcosm and the macrocosm.

 

Of course, Hermes had other things to do as well. He was supposed to function as a psychic, leading the souls of the dead to Hades, while, as a messenger of the Gods, he mediated communication and implemented the interconnection between the two worlds, the Underworld  and the Earthly world.

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Often the Hermaic columns were placed on the borders of fields and cities, recalling here quite the characteristics and qualities of the two-faced ancient Roman God Janus. He was also believed to be restless and unpredictable, even borderline, in character and considered the patron of trade but also of dangerous expeditions, gambling and other activities on the fringes of law and order. The God for the dirty work indeed.

 

The Globe

 

The globe is depicted as a sphere composed mostly of water.. 

 

It may be a coincidence but it may not be the fact that the human body is made up mostly of water while the human brain is contained within an almost spherical cage and its shape also tends toward that of a sphere.

 

Placing the globe at the top of our logo helps and forces us not to forget that we should always use our brains, especially in difficult situations, and always look at things globally and for the common good. After all, this is how a proper healthcare professional thinks and acts.