[gothic-l] Ostrogoths and Eagles

[dirk at SMRA.CO.UK]

Hi, a short question: is there any information about the meaning of
the eagle in Ostrogothic culture? Given all the Ostrogothic eagle
fibulae, the eagle seems to have been of special significance to them.
What is its meaning...a royal symbol? and/or spiritual symbol? After
Theoderic had become master of Italy, he ordered the minting of large
copper coins (40 nummi) at Rome showing the bust of Roma on the avers
and an Eagle on the reverse. With this issue Theoderic clearly wanted
to legitimise his rule, by using the Roma bust and the (some may say
cynical) inscpription 'ROMA INVICTA'. But he also had an eagle put on
the reverse, which in this context was not known to the Romans. Romans
had used the eagle on coins that commemorated dead emperors, with the
eagle on an alter that carries the soul to the gods, but they had
never used the eagle as standard reverse design.  Could the decision
to use the Roma bust and Invicta inscription together with an
Ostrogothic eagle be an attempt to signal both continuity and the
assertion of new rulers? Any thoughts on the Ostrogothic eagle symbol
would be welcome.

Dirk




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