Dragons & Serpents

A dragon is a legendary creature, typically depicted as a large and powerful serpent or other reptile, with magical or spiritual qualities. Western representations typically have wings, whereas Eastern ones typically do not. Mythological creatures possessing some or most of the characteristics typically associated with dragons are common throughout the world's cultures.

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Dragons /Serpents feature in many different mythologies 

The dragon is quite frequently represented as guarding the treasure hoard in the burial mound

 ( If golden treasure hoards referred to Acapulco, not metallic, gold; then it'd go a long way to explain why so many legendary dragons spend all their time in caves sleeping on heaps of the stuff. )

Hercules, St. Michael, St. George, Siegfried and Apollo are all dragon- slayers. The snakes sent by Juno were strangled by the infant Hercules; Pythos the serpent / dragon occupant of Delphi was slain by Apollo.

St. Patrick drove the serpents from Ireland, and from Lundy

The Garden of Eden has a snake and an apple.

Uther Pendragon - father of Arthur

 When Hercules retrieved the Golden Apples from the Garden of the Hesperides, during his twelve labours, he had to slay the sleepless dragon Ladon.

The 5500 Sarmatian cavalry sent to Britain by Marcus Aurelius in 175 AD used a dragon standard.