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fasces

fasces

1 9.9
A bundle of rods with an axe blade used as a symbol of power
  • noun
  • /ˈfæsiːz/
: fascio
  • The Roman consul was preceded by lictors bearing the fasces as a symbol of his authority.

Examples

  • The fasces became a prominent emblem of the Fascist Party in 20th-century Italy.

  • On some government buildings, you can see carvings of fasces to represent law and power.

  • The ancient Romans carried fasces to symbolize their authority.

  • In many sculptures, fasces represent the power of the state.

  • On some government buildings, you can see carvings of fasces to represent law and power.

  • The fasces became a prominent emblem of the Fascist Party in 20th-century Italy.

  • The Roman consul was preceded by lictors bearing the fasces as a symbol of his authority.

Surface Forms

fasces singular
fasces plural

Etymology

Fasces comes from the Latin fascis, meaning 'bundle', and it named the bundle of rods with an axe that Roman officials carried as a sign of power. A helpful image is that one stick can break but a bundle is strong, and the Italian word fascio ('bundle') later gave the name 'Fascism', so fasces became a symbol of authority and united strength.