(Juliana Caro/)
The mirror of Venus (♀) and the shield of Mars (♂) are symbols created by alchemy that allude to the gods of ancient Rome. In Roman mythology, Venus was the goddess of love, associated with harmony, beauty and empathy, while Mars was the god of war, associated with aggression, strength and impulsiveness. During the Middle Ages, alchemists returned to Greek studies that associated metals, planets and gods. Mars represented iron and Venus copper. During this process, the original names gave rise to the symbols we know today (see below). For a long time, these symbols remained forgotten until, in the 18th century, the Swede Carolus Linnaeus (creator of the scientific classification) began to refer to plants of female lineage with the symbol , to those of male lineage with and to hybrids with the Caduceus of Mercury.
– (Juliana Caro/)
READER QUESTION Kaique Rossoni, Colatina, ES
SOURCES Book The Origin of the Male and Female Symbols of Biology, by William T. Stearn; magazine taxon Vol. 11, No. 4 (1962)