Creeping beings, shedders of skin, cruel poisoners of beasts and men, mysterious enchanting creatures—serpents have been feared and respected since the dawn of time, surrounded by an almost inextricable aura of mystery. The dark roots of their symbolism are lost in the earliest ages, passing through Scriptures, mythologies, cosmogonies, and even folk traditions, and are nearly impossible to be traced back definitively. And yet, Antiquity offers a precious support for understanding this symbol, so mysterious and so feared.