Double Headed Eagle

  • The Eagle (Aquila in Latin) appears to have been a symbol of Divine Power.

Hittite Empire

  • The Double Headed Eagle Symbol appears on cylindrical seals dating from circa 1600-600 BCE, found in the ruins of Hattusa, Capital of the Hittite Empire, which occupied modern Turkey.

Byzantine Empire

  • The Symbol of an eagle with two heads was introduced by the Byzantine Emperor Isaac I Komnenos (1057-1059 CE). It signified that the Empire looked both East and West from its Capital at Byzantium.

Recent Usage

  • The Double Headed Eagle was used more recently by the Holy Roman Empire, the Austrian Empire and the Russian Empire.
  • Today, the symbol continues to be used on the flags and insignia of many Eastern European countries, including on Russian coins.
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