"Signa" with snake or dragon

[hoplite14gr]

The snake has been ascociated with the Earth Goddess from the Neolithic age. The most notable examples are the Minoan and Mycenean seals.
In the Geometric Era the apearence of the Goddess "Potnia ton Theron" closely resembles them.
Later the snakes become the symbol of Hera as she evolves in from the original earth godess. So the 2 gold snakes appear in the Argive shields to honor the patron godess of Argos.
The snake have been adopted as the sympols of the clans that claim to be indigenous. Ancient Greeks called them "Spartoi". In Beotia they sported a red snake ready to "spring" on their shields. In Laconia they sported a black snake with one coil head facing up and tail facing down.
The Opoundian Locrians sported a brown snake with one coil and both head and tail looking upwards.
Those who had a wife from a "Spartoi" family sported the snake on their thorax shoulder guards.
The Romans possibly impressed by the horsemen of Pyrros and the Italiot Greeks who seem to have sporting these snakes adopted them as decortion on their soulders of the hamata as an Osprey reconstraction shows them.
Kind regards

PS Do not confuse "Spartoi" with Spartans