The
caduceus (☤; or ; from
Greek "herald's staff" ) is the staff carried by
Hermes Trismegistus in
Egyptian mythology and
Hermes in
Greek mythology. The same staff was also borne by heralds in general, for example by
Iris, the messenger of
Hera. It is a short staff entwined by two
serpents, sometimes surmounted by wings. In Roman iconography, it was often depicted being carried in the left hand of
Mercury, the messenger of the gods, guide of the dead and protector of merchants, shepherds, gamblers, liars, and thieves.