Ancient Roman Natural Cameo Intaglio Gemstone Silver Pendant Eagle Aquila UNIQUE
An aquila (Classical Latin: ['ak?? la], "eagle") was a prominent symbol used in ancient Rome, especially as the standard of a Roman legion. A legionary known as an aquilifer, the "eagle-bearer", carried this standard. Each legion carried one eagle. The eagle had quasi-religious importance to the Roman soldier, far beyond being merely a symbol of his legion. To lose a standard was extremely grave, and the Roman military went to great lengths both to protect a standard and to recover it if it were 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.
No legionary eagles are known to have survived. However, other Roman eagles, either symbolizing imperial rule or used as funerary emblems, have been discovered. The signa militaria were the Roman military ensigns or standards. 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. 16 enumerates five: the eagle, the wolf, the ox with the man's head, the horse, and the boar.
After the devastating Roman defeat at the Battle of Arausio against the Cimbri and Teutons the consul Gaius Marius undertook an extensive military reform in 104 BC in which the four quadrupeds were laid aside as standards, the eagle (Aquila) alone being retained. It was made of silver, or bronze, with outstretched wings, but was probably of relatively small size, since a standard-bearer (signifer) under Julius Caesar is said in circumstances of danger to have wrenched the eagle from its staff and concealed it in the folds of his girdle. 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.Each cohort had for its own ensign the draco, which was woven on a square piece of cloth textilis anguis, [6] elevated on a gilt staff, to which a cross-bar was adapted for the purpose, and carried by the draconarius. Another figure used in the standards was a ball (orb), supposed to have been emblematic of the dominion of Rome over the world; 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. 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. The name of the emperor, or of him who was acknowledged as emperor, was sometimes inscribed in the same situation.
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. 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. AMAZING NATURAL CAMEO INTAGLIO GEMSTONE.
Expertise of the STONE : 100% NATURAL SEMIPRECIOUS STONE GEMSTONE CAMEO INTAGLIO. Expertise on the metal : SOLID SILVER (900 / 920) and Silver have authentic GENUINE OLD PATINA. ONE OF A KIND - 100% EXCLUSIVE UNIQUE!! GUARANTEED ONE OF A KIND. EXPERTISE in the composition of materials. The base is NATURAL Cameo Intaglio Gemstone. The Fastening material of the gemstone SOLID SILVER (900/920).Choice about extremely fine detail with a gorgeous patina!! NICE BEAUTIFUL DARK VERY STRONG OLD PATINA. A stunning and exceptional example of this humongous artifact!! Height together with the ring.
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