The fasces, a bundle of wooden rods with an ax head attached, was revived by Italian President Mussolini in the 1930s. It symbolized absolute domination and was used by ancient Roman emperors to represent the power of the empire. Other Roman officials and soldiers also had the honor of carrying it during ceremonies. Today, it is used as a symbol of unity and power in many government flags and public buildings.
During the 1930s, Italian President Benito Mussolini revived a tradition last seen during the days of the Roman Empire. Mussolini would be preceded by an honor guard carrying a ceremonial bundle of wooden rods with an ax head attached to one side. This symbol of absolute domination is commonly known as a fasces, and it helped inspire the name of those who espoused such totalitarian power, the fascists. “The Emperor” Benito Mussolini embraced many of the same political principles as the ancient Roman emperors, and the fasces became the perfect embodiment of those principles.
During the present days of the Roman Empire, the fasces represented the power of individuals when combined and united under a singular entity, namely the empire of Rome. Emperors treated the fasces with the same respect that a modern ruler would respect the power of his country’s flag or coat of arms. A fasces generally preceded the emperor before his speech to the Roman Senate or an inspection of the troops on the battlefield. Traditionally, Roman fasces contained only one ax head whenever there was an official state of war, but historically times of peace in the Roman Empire were few and far between.
Other Roman officials and dignitaries also had the right to be preceded by a fasces during parades and diplomatic missions. Soldiers who had performed heroically in battle might even have had the honor of carrying a bundle during ceremonies. The ax blades inside most fasces were removed while conducting business in Roman government buildings, which served as a reminder that bearers had no life-or-death powers within their walls.
The modern symbolic use of a bundle does not usually generate as much controversy as other symbols of power such as the swastika or the hammer and sickle.
The American “Mercury Head” coin, minted before the introduction of the current FDR design, featured an image of a fasces on the reverse. Many government flags also feature an image of a bundle, along with other symbols of power, such as the scales of justice or infantry shields. There are numerous other examples of singular or multiple bundles used to symbolize unity and power over many public buildings and government offices.
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