"Asclepio tipo Giustini ( Aesculapius or Esculapius )" (see details) (see related A | B | C | D) Roman replica of a IV c. original - from the Isola Tiberina - Farnese Collection Museo Archeologico Nationale, Naples, Italy

This and other canonical representations present Aesculapius as a semi-nude mature man with abundant hair and beard, leaning on a simple staff or rod (in contrast to the wand of Hermes or Mercury called Caduceus - which often is short, fancy and sustains two serpents - perhaps a sign of the ethical ambiguities inherent in mercenary deals of merchants and thieves he protected). Also worth noting is that Hermes represents characteristics of a Hermaphrodite or alternatively his son also so named. The name is indicative of ancestry pointing toward Hermes-Aphrodite.