Aquila Symbol – History And Meaning

One of the most recognizable Roman symbols, the aquila is the symbol of ancient Rome where it was prominently used as a military standard. Its presence was believed by the ancient Romans to be auspicious.

Having outlived the Roman empire, the aquila remains a powerful symbol and is still employed by various countries and cultures to this day.

Aquila Symbol – History And Meaning

If you want to learn more about the Aquila symbol, read on to find out the meaning, history, and significance of this Roman symbol.

Aquila Symbol History

The aquila was used as a Roman military insignia along with the wolf, the minotaur (ox with a man’s head), the horse, and the boar. They succeeded the manipulus or the bundle of hay emblem, which was a handful of straw attached to the tip of a pole (or spear).

The aquila symbol represented the ancient Rome. Deemed sacred, it was carried with all Roman legions and losing the aquila insignia would put a legion into public disgrace.

When the Romans were defeated in the Cimbric War in 101 BC, the Roman general Gaius Marius undertook an extensive military reform a few years later. The reform included discarding as standards the four quadrupeds and retaining only the aquila (eagle).

The aquila symbol denoted the right to exercise rule by force throughout the Roman Republic until the end of the Byzantine Empire (1453 AD). The symbol remained in use under the later emperors.

When the Roman Empire adopted Christianity as their religion, the aquila continued to be used as a symbol by the Holy Roman Empire and even the early Byzantine Empire.

By then, however, its employment had become rare and  its meaning changed. The double-headed eagle, in particular, which was linked to a pagan symbol, became popular among Christians.

The Aquila Symbol

The perched eagle with widespread wings – the aquila symbol – was typically employed as the banner of the Roman legions.

In ancient Rome, the eagle or aquila was considered the King of the Birds. Ancient Romans believed that a presence of an aquila brought good luck.

The symbol of ancient Rome, the aquila was a perched eagle with spread-out wings which can be lifted up or pointing to the sky and curved in some representations. This symbol was interpreted to symbolize strength, courage, and immortality.

By far the most prominent of all Roman military standards, the aquila or the eagle was the symbol of imperium. It also signified the right to exercise rule by force throughout the Roman Republic until the Byzantine Empire.

As an emblem of the Roman legion, the aquila symbolized speed and power. This symbol is featured on a number of extant relics from the Roman era before the 5th century AD. These relics range from coins, to statuary, to recovered tombs.

Aquila Symbol Meaning

The aquila symbol was prominently used in ancient Rome, most especially as the insignia of a Roman legion. Each legion carried one aquila.

Legionaries carrying this military standard were called aquilifers or the “eagle-bearers.”

The word “aquila” is the Classical Latin for “eagle.”