Ophiuchus vel Serpentarius, the Serpent Holder, is generally identified with Aesculapius, a physician, who was later made a god. Serpents were always associated with physicians as symbols of prudence, renovation, wisdom, and the power of discovering healing herbs. The modern symbol for medicine derives from this.
Aesculapius was the one of the earliest physicians, trained by a centaur, Chiron, and the surgeon of the ship Argo. He was so skilled in his profession that he could bring the dead back to life. After many successful operations and numerous remarkable cures, Hades, fearful that his dominion would vanish, convinced Zeus to strike Aesculapius with a thunderbolt and transfer him to the stars.
