Late Roman double serpent symbolism

[Caballo]

Thanks- very interesting. This led me to search some other sources....

A 16th century Russian crozier


Italian 12th century (just the one serpent / wolf)


An ivory crozier- "A crozier volute in elephant ivory or possibly the branch of a Tau cross. It is an arc or penannular ring of ivory, one end terminates in an animal head. There is an inscription on either side. One side reads: NON EST …….DB CUL …..OESUS.. CUN. E, and the other side reads: PRINCIPES……EST AGESCOUS. This may be from the same biblical quotation." Lombardic, 12th century, "dragons head"


Anyone know any Greek/ Russian/ Armenian Orthodox people who could help decode all this?

I'm coming to the conclusion that the double (and perhaps the single) serpents/ dragons/ wolfs head on Late Roman shields had some religious and possibly protective significance?