The figure of serpens (snake) in the Aegean world at Classical Period

In this study, the serpent is discussed as an archaeological figure and a cult subject from symbolic and conceptual angles in the historical flow. The study initially examines the myths and archaeological findings of civilizations such as Mesopotamia and Hittite and then serpent phenomenon in the classical period, especially in the cult tradition belonging to the Aegean world, in terms of archaeological data, myths and written sources. The serpent, in some societies, has appeared as the symbol of evil, while in some as a divine animal for its power of healing. The serpent is the subject of various stories from Hittites to Sumerian and is also one of the leading figures of mythology in many different ancient societies such as Anatolia, Greece and Rome. The serpent, one of the most used symbols since the Neolithic period, has been associated with gods, goddesses and rulers in the cultures of the Asia Minor, and with health in the Ancient Greece. Besides, Asclepius in particular and Zeus and other Olympus gods and many other gods and heroes have been symbolized with it. The meaning and quality of the serpent figure is related to the god or the characteristic of the hero. In this sense, depending on the form represented, it appears with qualities as death, power, violence, abundance or healing. The changing meanings and symbols of the serpent in the ancient history in the context of different beliefs have allowed for an enriched field of material and analysis in the archaeological iconography. In this context, the serpent, which is perceived in a symbolic relation with the concepts of immortality, healing, protection, frightening, good-evil and other world, in its process of existence being at least as old as human history, is discussed in this study with all kinds of representations in archaeological materials.