The aegis
In the Greek Mythology, the the aegis (in Greek old αἰγίς / aigís ) is a marvellous weapon held by Zeus, offensive as much as defensive, symbol of the sovereign power.
Myth
Description
It is not easy to include/understand of what it consists exactly among poets epic. Its natural etymology ( aigís also means “goatskin”) inclines to make think that it is about a shield covered with a goatskin. It is evoked on several occasions in Iliade , where the principal epithet of Zeus is αἰγίοχος / aigíkhos , which literally means “gone up on a goat”, but that the Greeks interpret like “the Carry-Aegis”. It was suggested that aigi- rather indicated in the beginning a bird, which in certain German traditions or Lithuanians accompanies the god by the lightning.
The aegis is work of Héphaïstos - or, at Hésiode, of Métis, for its Athéna daughter. With song II (v. 446-449), Homère describes it as follows:
“the invaluable aegis, inalterable and pure,
From where dangled hundred fringes marvelously braided,
All in fine gold, and of which each one was worth hundred oxen well. ”
With the song V (v. 738-742), the representation differs appreciably:
“on its shoulders alarming the égide
threw With the moving hairs, where, in a large round, Déroute,
were spread out And Discord and Valiancy and Poursuite freezing the hearts,
With the head of door in its center the head of Gorgo, this terrible monster,
Terrible, grimaçant, sign of Zeus the Carry-Aegis. ”
The late commentators see there the goatskin Amalthée, nurse of Zeus. Euripide proposes a curious etymology: according to him, the aegis is a covered armor of the skin of Gorgone killed by Athéna during the Gigantomachie. The aegis would bear this name because Athéna would be “rush” ( ᾖξεν , of the verb ἀΐσσειν / aíssein ) with the combat. It seems however that it is more about a Word game that of a true etymology.
Although it acts in the epopee S of the principal attribute of Zeus, this one is only seldom represented with the aegis in works of Article Starting from the traditional time, the aegis is regarded as a kind of decorated Cuirasse of a goatskin and pier on the shoulders of Athéna, also called gorgonéion. At Eschyle, the aegis seems to consist only of one goatskin, since Athéna can tighten it in front of it like a sail, to be carried by the winds.
Function
By shaking the aegis, Zeus starts the Tonnerre and the flash S, thus sowing terror among the mortals:
“On his side, the son of Cronos seizes his égide
With the thousand gold fringes: it covered the Ida clouds,
Launching the flash with great crashes and shook the mount,
Giving the victory to the Trojan and making flee the others. ”
In the same way, the aegis will govern the destruction of Troy:
“One day will come where will perish and holy Ilion
And Priam and people of Priam, the good lancer,
And where Zeus, Cronide, this large prince of ether,
Outraged this félonie, will agitate on tous
Its dark aegis. ”
It occasionally lends it to Athéna but also to Apollon. When it is armed with the aegis, Athéna rather gets busy to encourage that to terrify: thus, it is the aegis with the hand which it encourages with the combat the Achaens gathered close to the naves, or which it gives courage to Héraklès whereas it will fight Cycnos. It also covers Achille with it whereas this one from there will be frightened Troyens and makes it possible to the Greeks to recover the body of Patrocle. Apollo makes use of it to put in rout the Achaens and to protect the body from Hector.
The Pseudo-Apollodore associates the aegis with the legend of the Palladium. Whereas the Athéna young person involves herself with the Naïade Pallas, Zeus interposes its aegis to protect his/her daughter. Frightened, Pallas cannot divert the blow of Athéna, which kills it. The goddess then carves a wood statue to her resemblance and fixes the aegis there: it is Palladium.
Symbol
The aegis remained, in the Antiquité, the symbol of the invulnerability guaranteed by protection of the gods. The Roman Emperors are thus often represented with a Amulette placed on the chest, miniature of the shield decorated with the head of Jellyfish.
Nowadays, in the language running, the aegis indicates a support, a protection even a rampart:
“My pride is the misleading aegis, I am without defense against the pain. ”
Honore de Balzac, Béatrix
In History of art, one calls “the aegis” an emblem made up of the head and collar of a divinity, very running in ancient Egypt.
In the US Navy, the Cruiser S of the class Ticonderoga and the Destroyer S of the class Arleigh Burke are equipped with a Radar called Aegis (“the Aegis” in English).
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