The eagle often symbolizes strength, courage, farsightedness and
immortality. It is considered[according to whom?] to be the king
of the air and the messenger of the highest Gods.
Mythologically, it has been connected by the Greeks with the God
Zeus, by the Romans with Jupiter, by the Germanic tribes with
Odin, by the Judeo-Christian scriptures with those who hope in
God (Isa 40:31), and in Christian art with Saint John the
Evangelist. The eagle as a symbol has a history much longer than
that of heraldry itself. In Ancient Egypt, the falcon was the
symbol of Horus, and in Roman polytheism of Jupiter. An eagle
appears on the battle standard of Cyrus the Great in Persia,
around 540 BC. The eagle as a "heraldic animal" of the Roman
Republic was introduced in 102 BC by consul Gaius Marius.
According to Islamic tradition, the Black Standard of Muhammad
was known as راية العُقاب rāyat al-`uqāb "banner of the eagle"
(even though it did not depict an eagle and was solid black). In
Christian symbolism the four living