Mercurius 1528 - 1583

Etienne Delaune crafted this engraving of Mercurius, the Roman messenger god, in the 16th century. Mercurius strides confidently, holding the caduceus, a staff entwined with serpents, symbolising commerce, negotiation, and healing, all watched over by a vigilant rooster representing wakefulness. Consider the caduceus: in ancient Greece, Hermes, Mercurius' counterpart, carried a similar staff as a herald, a symbol of peace and protection. This emblem, echoing through the ages, also appears in alchemical texts, representing balance and transformation. But its adoption by the medical profession is a curious shift, a divergence of meaning. The image's emotional power lies in its evocation of constant vigilance. Like the cyclical nature of the caduceus, symbols transmute, reborn in new forms and purposes.