Tavern on the right inside of the second 

This etching by Giovanni Battista Piranesi captures a scene from a tavern in Pompeii. Dominating the architecture are sculptures of entwined serpents. These symbols of regeneration and healing, commonly associated with Asclepius, the Greco-Roman god of medicine, were frequently displayed in places of gathering and commerce, promising health and prosperity. Consider the persistence of the serpent motif. In ancient Mesopotamia, intertwined serpents adorned the staff of Ningishzida, a god of healing. This symbol then migrated to Greece, becoming the Rod of Asclepius, and even today, it appears as a symbol of modern medicine. Yet, the serpent is a slippery thing; it is also the tempter in the Garden of Eden, a symbol of chaos. The tavern scene invites reflection on the cyclical nature of symbols. The serpent, an emblem of life and peril, continues to weave its way through our collective consciousness, resurfacing in various forms. Its enduring presence reminds us of the complex interplay between our conscious understanding and the primordial depths of the human psyche.