The Eagle Of Rome

[Rosalia Hollingworth]

Theeagle had quasi-religious importance to the Roman soldier, far beyond being merely a symbol of his legion. To lose a standard was seen as extremely grave, shameful and dishonorable, and the Roman military went to great lengths both to protect a standard and to recover one had it been lost; after the annihilation of three legions in the Teutoburg Forest, the Romans spent decades retaliating for the defeat while also attempting to recover the three lost eagles.

The signa militaria were the Roman military ensigns or standards.[2] The most ancient standard employed by the Romans is said to have been a handful (manipulus) of straw fixed to the top of a spear or pole. Hence the company of soldiers belonging to it was called a maniple. The bundle of hay or fern was soon succeeded by the figures of animals, of which Pliny the Elder (H.N. x.16) enumerates five: the eagle, the wolf, the ox with the man's head, the horse, and the boar.[3][4] Pliny attributes to the consul Gaius Marius the setting aside of the four quadrupeds as standards and the retention of the eagle (Aquila) alone after the devastating Roman defeat at the Battle of Arausio against the Cimbri and Teutons in 104 BC. It was made of silver, or bronze, with upwards stretched wings, but was probably of relatively small size, since a standard-bearer (signifer) under Augustus is said in circumstances of danger (the Teutoburgerwald battle) to have wrenched the eagle from its staff and concealed it in the folds of his tunic above his girdle.[5] Pliny's claim is refuted by sources showing late republican and early imperial legions with other animal symbols such as bulls and wolves.[6]

Under the later emperors the eagle was carried, as it had been for many centuries, with the legion, a legion being on that account sometimes called aquila (Hirt. Bell. Hisp. 30). Each cohort had for its own ensign the draco, which was woven on a square piece of cloth textilis anguis,[7] elevated on a gilt staff, to which a cross-bar was adapted for the purpose,[8] and carried by the draconarius.[9]

Another figure used in the standards was a ball (orb), supposed to have been emblematic of the dominion of Rome over the world;[10] and for the same reason a bronze figure of Victoria was sometimes fixed at the top of the staff, as we see it sculptured, together with small statues of Mars, on the Column of Trajan and the Arch of Constantine.[11] Under the eagle or other emblem was often placed a head of the reigning emperor, which was to the army an object of worship or veneration.[12] The name of the emperor, or of him who was acknowledged as emperor, was sometimes inscribed in the same situation.[13] The pole used to carry the eagle had at its lower extremity an iron point (cuspis) to fix it in the ground and to enable the aquilifer in case of need to repel an attack.[14]

The minor divisions of a cohort, called centuries, also each had an ensign, inscribed with the number both of the cohort and of the century. This, together with the diversities of the crests worn by the centurions, enabled each soldier to take his place with ease.[15]

In the Arch of Constantine at Rome there are four sculptured panels near the top which exhibit a great number of standards and illustrate some of the forms here described. The first panel represents Trajan giving a king to the Parthians: seven standards are held by the soldiers. The second, containing five standards, represents the performance of the sacrifice called suovetaurilia.[16]

When Constantine embraced Christianity, a figure or emblem of Christ, woven in gold upon the purple cloth, was substituted for the head of the emperor. This richly ornamented standard was called labarum.[17] The labarum is still used today by the Eastern Orthodox Church in the Sunday service. The entry procession of the chalice whose contents will soon become holy communion is modeled after the procession of the standards of the Roman army.

Even after the adoption of Christianity as the Roman Empire's religion; the eagle continued to be used as a symbol by the Holy Roman Empire and the early Byzantine Empire although far more rarely and with a different meaning. In particular the double-headed eagle, despite strongly linking back to a Pagan symbol, became very popular among Christians.

Since the movements of a body of troops and of every portion of it were regulated by the standards, all the evolutions, acts, and incidents of the Roman army were expressed by phrases derived from this circumstance. Thus signa inferre meant to advance,[18] referre to retreat, and convertere to face about; efferre, or castris vellere, to march out of the camp;[19] ad signa convenire, to re-assemble.[20] Notwithstanding some obscurity in the use of terms, it appears that, whilst the standard of the legion was properly called aquila, those of the cohorts were in a special sense of the term called signa, their bearers being signiferi, and that those of the manipuli or smaller divisions of the cohort were denominated vexilla, their bearers being vexillarii. Also, those who fought in the first ranks of the legion, in front of the standards of the legion and cohorts, were called antesignani.[21]

In military stratagems, it was sometimes necessary to conceal the standards.[22] Although the Romans commonly considered it a point of honour to preserve their standards, in some cases of extreme danger the leader himself threw them among the ranks of the enemy in order to divert their attention or to animate his own soldiers.[23] A wounded or dying standard-bearer delivered it, if possible, into the hands of his general,[24] from whom he had received it signis acceptis.[25]

Originally the eagle was probably made of silver with a golden thunderbolt in its claw. Above the eagle on the standard a gold bar bore the message SPQR (Senatus Populus Romanus), a title that honored the Senate and the people of Rome. While the primary function of the eagle was symbolic (representing not only the legion, but the Roman empire as well), it also proved a strategic tool. In the chaos of battle, troops would often look for the standard to orient their actions, often following commands to not move further than a few steps from it. When legions sets up camp, the eagle would be the first thing planted, often being given a tent of its own. One soldier, the aquilifer, would be given the honor of carrying the eagle into battle and guarding its existence.

For any Roman legion the eagle was its heart and soul. To lose the eagle meant the end of the legion, at least until it could be recaptured. At the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 CE, Germanic forces destroyed three roman legions, capturing their eagles as well. Germanicus, who took over the fight for German territory, was able to recover two of the three eagles. Fifth Legion Alaudae also lost its eagle in 17 AD, but was not disbanded since the eagle was subsequently recaptured.

It is believed that the bald eagles remain in the area during the summer months and do not migrate as there is plentiful food available from lakes, the Berry quarry and the nearby Oostanaula River. They have occasionally been sighted at or near the nest during the summer, probably to ensure that other animals know it is occupied.

Our cameras are equipped with infrared (IR) technology that allows viewing at night. This light spectrum is outside the viewing range of both bald eagles and humans. When on location at night, no light source can be seen by the naked eye.

In this blog, learn the story behind the Silchester Eagle, one of the most famous Roman eagles discovered from the time of the Roman conquest of Britain. Read about the discovery of this remarkable object, the significance of eagles in imperial Rome, and how this mighty Roman aquila continues to inspire today.

In ancient Rome, the eagle was known as the king of birds. It was a symbol of imperial power, and therefore represented courage, strength and immortality. The eagle remains one of the most famous animal symbols associated with ancient Rome today.

Most famously, the eagle, or aquila, featured on the standard of the Roman Legions. The standard bearer, the Aquilifer, would carry the eagle standard into battle. This was a hugely prestigious position within the Roman army.

The eagle was not the only animal of significance in Roman mythology. Another key animal from Roman mythology was the wolf, a powerful symbol of Rome's earliest days. The most famous example is the she-wolf (the Capitoline Wolf) that raised the legendary twins Romulus and Remus who became the city's mythical founders. The eagle represented something very different to the wolf: Roman military strength, power, and superiority over the Empire's foes.

This striking Roman eagle, as imposing as any ever found in Britain, was found at the site of the Basilica, the public meeting place of daily life, at the centre of the Silchester Roman town. It was unearthed on the 9th October 1866 during excavations led by Reverend J. G. Joyce.

Reverend Joycem, the rector of nearby village Stratfield Saye, was very interested in archaeology. He excavated at the Silchester site from 1864 to 1878 and recorded his work with fine illustrations in a three-volume journal.

Crafted in the 2nd century AD by a skilled craftsperson, the Silchester Eagle stands with its head raised and turned to the right. It would have had outstretched wings. The careful modelling of the feathers on the body suggests the wings must have been extended and raised.

The Silchester Eagle was repaired during its lifetime, when replacement wings and probably new feet were fitted. It was then damaged again when it lost its wings and suffered damage to its replacement feet.

The books focus on the mysterious disappearance of the Ninth Legion, Legio IX Hispana (the 9th Spanish Legion). The Ninth Legion was stationed in Britain following the invasion of 43 AD. However, by 120 AD, less than a hundred years later, the Legion had vanished from Roman records without a trace.

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