An aquila (Classical Latin: [ˈakᶣɪla], lit. ´eagle') was a prominent symbol used in ancient Rome, especially as the standard of a Roman legion. A legionary known as an ...
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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.
