The eagle was a prominent symbol in ancient Greek culture and was associated with royalty, strength, and keen vision. Zeus, as supreme ruler of Olympus, took the eagle as a personal symbol of his own greatness and authority. The majesty of the eagle coincided with the position of dominance that Zeus exercised over the gods and mortals.

The eagle was an intermediary between the king of the gods and the earthly world. It was said that it carried the lightning bolts with which Zeus controlled the heavens, showing his ability to influence the weather and exert his power over nature.

According to mythology, there was once a mortal king named Periphas, whose virtuous rule was so celebrated that he came to be honored as a god. However, Zeus, angered by such an act, struck him with a thunderbolt.

At that moment, Apollo intervened and transformed the king into an eagle and placed him next to Zeus’ throne.

Other myths say that their relationship began with the appearance of the bird in front of the god at the time before the War of the Titans or Titanomachy. Zeus understood this as a good omen of victory, which led him to use the emblem of a golden eagle on his war banner.