![]() ![]() ![]() This was unusual, as eagles typically only lay two or three eggs. Putting the emphasis on the eagle was meant to place its central qualities, bravery and power, at the forefront of the army's identity.įrom the mid-Republican era onwards, the standard was a bronze or silver Aquila with spread wings.Īccording to legend, Gaius Marius discovered an eagle nest as a child that contained seven eggs. Marius' reforms transformed the Roman legions from a loose militia into a professional fighting force.Īs part of the restructure, he declared the eagle as the military's standard and retired the other four creatures mentioned above. The consul Gaius Marius led a reorganization of the military structure. Over time, the Romans began using emblems of eagles, wolves, minotaurs, horses, and boars.įollowing a crushing defeat in 105 BC at the Battle of Arausio during the Cimbrian War, the Romans completed a self-assessment. The earliest standard used by the Roman army was a bundle of straw affixed to a tall staff. They also served a practical function by acting as a rallying point. A standard was the insignia carried by a group to represent it in battle. Fostering commitment among the ranks required icons to rally around and represent the legion.įrom the creation of the Roman army, emblems, called standards, carried significance. Up to modernity, eagles are depicted with lightning bolts clutched in their talons.Ī Roman legion functioned on the discipline and dedication of its soldiers. Symbolically, he claimed eagles were the only creature immune to lightning strikes, underscoring their divinity. Pliny the Elder wrote extensively on eagles, noting that they possessed excellent eyesight and were skilled parents. Once they broke free and flew skyward, the Romans considered it a manifestation of the deceased emperor's transition to godhood.Īncient Romans esteemed the eagle and adopted it as a symbol of victory. The eagle was considered majestic and transcendent, to the point that live birds were often caged on emperors' funeral pyres. ![]() Statues of eagles have been unearthed at burial sites because they were a common funerary emblem. The ancient Romans always associated the eagle with power and authority because of its association with the god Jupiter.Īs the Republic gave way to the Empire, eagles were well-regarded throughout Rome as symbols of power and glory. Their dispute intensified as they argued whether the first siting or number of eagles mattered more (Romulus eventually killed Remus and built on Palatine Hill). Remus spotted six eagles and Romulus later spotted twelve of the birds. In the city's founding myth, the brothers Romulus and Remus agreed to settle their dispute over where to build their kingdom by letting the gods decide. Subsequent nations, from Poland to the United States to Nazi Germany, have adopted eagles as their national symbols, both for their intrinsic meaning and in an attempt to evoke the Roman Empire.Įagles played a central role in Roman life and culture, right from the society's inception. While different animals and mythological creatures served as meaningful signifiers throughout the Republic and Imperial eras, the eagle continuously symbolized power and authority. The aquila, or eagle, is one the most enduring symbols of Roman civilization.
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