EAGLE, in history, the symbol of royalty ; as being, according to Philos tratus, the king of birds. I lessee, in the Scriptures, a Chablman and Egyptian king are styled eagles. The eagle was borne as a standard by many nations of antiquity. The first who assumed it, ac cording to Xenophon, were the Persians, from whom (in all probability through the medium of the Greeks) it was bor mired by the Romans at an early period of their history, but first adopted as their sole ensign in the consulate of C. Marius. Previously to that period they had used as standards wolves, leopards, eagles. and other animals, indifferently, according to the humor of their generals. The Ro man eagles were gold or silver figures in relieve, about the size of a pigeon ; and were borne on the tops of spears, with their wings displayed, and frequently with a thunderbolt in their talons. When the army marched the eagle was always visible to the legions ; and when it en camped, the eagle was always placed be fore their preetorium or tent of the gen eral. The eagle on the summit of an ivory staff was also the symbol of the con sular dignity. In modern times an eagle standing with outspread wings, is the military emblem of the United States. Daring the sway of Napoleon, he caused the tricolor flag, which at the outbreak of the first French Revolution had become the standard of France, to be surmounted with an eagle; and thus constituted it the standard of the consular and imperial armies. From this circumstance, and from the almost unprecedented career of victory so long pursued by the French under this standard, the expression eagles of Napoleon is often used metaphorically to designate the armies under his com mand. After the battle of Waterloo the
eagle was superseded in France by the (tear de lys, the ancient emblem of the Bourbon race. Eagles are frequently found on ancient coins and medals ; where, according to Spanheirn, they are emble matic of divinity and providence, but ac cording to all other antiquaries, of empire. They are most usually found on the 'ped als of the Ptolemies of Egypt and the Scleucidte of Syria. An eagle, with the word consecratio, indicates the apotheosis of an emperor. The eagle is also the badge of several orders, as the black ea gle and the red eagle of Prussia, the white eagle of Poland, &c.—In Christian Art, an eagle is the attribute of St. John the Evangelist ; the symbol of authority, of power, and of generosity ; it was regard ed by St Gregory as the emblem of con templative life. It is represented drink ing from a chalice, as an emblem of the strength the Christian derives from the holy Eucharist. The conflict between the "state of nature" and the "state of grace" is represented by an eagle light ing with a serpent, and by an eagle, the body of which, terminating in the tail of a serpent, is turned against the head. A common form for the lectern, constructed of wood or brass, used to support the sa cred volume in the choir of churches, is that of an eagle.—Elisha, the prophet, is represented with a two-headed eagle over his bead or upon his shoulder, referring to his petition to Elijah for a double por tion of his spirit.