The branch of the Ophite gnosticism takes its origin likely with the sect of the Perates, which is dated around the half of the IInd century C.E. and which is described by Elenchos 5,12-18, a work attributed to Hippolytus of Rome. This group is, together with the Naassenes, the only one that actually adores the serpent, which is considered as the epiphany of the Logos. This equivalence Logos = serpent is taken from the exegetical interpretation of Num. 21, 8-10 (the bronze serpent). This study tries to recover the basic chore of the heresiologists' reports about the Ophites and to compare it with the one concerning the Perates. It also shows that the I-nd century was ideal for the beginning of the Ophite Gnosticism: in fact, during this period, the image of the serpent reached the peak of its diffusion, thanks to the mystery cults and to the adoration of Asclepius. The Perates, in fact, take origin from a syncretistical mix of Christianism and Asclepius' cult.
