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The myth and history: Aquila, the Eagle, lies south of the Cygnus, the Swan, next to and westwards from Delphinus, the Dolphin, and is shown flying towards the east and across the Milky Way, its southern stars constituting the now discarded constellation 'Antinous'. Early representations added an arrow held in the Eagle's talons, and Havelius included a bow and arrow in his description. [SLM p.56].

The Eagle has always been a bird of kings, and is found frequently on heraldic signs, shields of warriors, banners and flags. Aquila was Jupiter's bird, the one that can rise highest of all and has carried out many a difficult task for Jupiter. It was the Eagle who swooped down upon Ophiuchus and killed him with one of Jupiter's arrows. It was the Eagle who had assisted Zeus in his battles with the Titans. On another occasion, when one day Hebe (daughter of Zeus and Hera, goddess of youth, and cup-bearer to the gods. She had the power of restoring youth and vigour to gods and men) twisted her ankle and could not be hostess at the table of the gods, Jupiter ordered Aquila to fly down to Earth and select the most handsome youth he could find to serve as cup-bearer and wine-pourer. Aquila sailed down from the Olympus and noticed Ganymedes (Ganymedes is associated with Aquarius), the son of the King of Troy, who was peacefully tending his father's herds. Aquila hovered overhead and then with great skill dived down, lifted Ganymedes in his talons, and flew back to Olympus. So Ganymede was promoted from a royal shepherd to a celestial waiter of the gods of Olympus, where he was accepted as their equal and pleased the eye of all by his manly beauty [NPS p.179]. Under Aquarius, the Water Carrier, is the story of how Jupiter eternalized Ganymedes in the stars of Aquarius, which are located just below the stars of the Eagle. 

It is also said that Zeus (Jupiter), desiring Ganymedes (Ganymede), as his bedfellow, disguised himself in Eagle's feathers and abducted him from the Trojan plain. The seduction of Ganymedes is symbolized by these two constellations in the sky, Aquila and Aquarius.

Aquila also was ordered to carry out the terrible punishment inflicted on Prometheus. Prometheus taught humankind the arts and sciences, which Zeus considered too great a gift to bestow on the inferior human race. Still Prometheus persisted, supplying them with the gift of fire, which he took from the Sun, secretly smuggling it to the earth in a hollow fennel stem. This act and its consequences displeased Jupiter very much. As punishment, he chained Prometheus, naked to pillar, in the Caucasus Mountains and from dawn to dusk the eagle of Zeus tore through his flesh to his liver. But because Prometheus was immortal, his liver healed every night, only to be pecked out again when the eagle reappeared again at dawn the following day. In this way his suffering was destined to go on forever. However, Zeus accepted an appeal from Heracles Hercules to show Prometheus mercy. The wise centaur, Chiron, agreed to relinquish his immortality in exchange for Prometheus' freedom. Once Zeus had relented, Heracles shot the eagle through the heart. Jupiter placed the Eagle among the stars in commemoration of his devoted service. [NPS p.180, SHC p.43].

Certain stars from this constellation were called Antinous which is now a discarded constellation. These were the stars directly south from Altair. The head of this figure was eta, and sigma; the rest of the outline being marked by theta, iota, kappa, lamda, nu, and delta; all now in Aquila. The constellation is said to have been introduced to the sky in the year 132 by the Emperor Hadrian in honor of Antinous who was a youth of extraordinary beauty, born in Bithynia, and was the favorite of the Emperor Hadrian. He is sometimes represented as carrying a bow and arrow as he is borne aloft in the Eagle's talons. An Egyptian oracle warned Hadrian that either he or his beloved would die. Antinous is said to have drowned himself in the Nile in the belief that the Emperor's life would thereby be prolonged, so strong was his love. [SLM p.40, ]. Another version says that Antinous drowned accidentally and he was deified and cults were established in his honor [DCP p.47]. Hadrian put his beloved's head on the coinage and named the city he built Antinoöpolis. A flower that sprouted from the blood of a lion that Hadrian killed (one thinks of Apollo's beloved, Hyacinthus, who was also immortalized in a flower) was also named after the tragic youth.

Aquila, the Eagle of Jupiter, frequently is depicted with either both wings closed or one wing stretched out, symbolizing the fact that he is falling, mortally wounded. Aquila is supposed to be represented by the bird figured on a Euphratean uranographic stone of about 1200 BCE, and known on the tablets of Idkhu Zamama as the Eagle, 'the Living Eye', 'The Powerful Bird'. It was always known as Aquila by the Latins, and by their poets as Jovis Ales and Jovis Nutrix, the Bird, and the Nurse, of Jove; Jovis Armiger and Armiger Ales, the Armor-bearing Bird of Jove in this god's conflict with the giants; while Ganymedes Raptrix and Servans Antinoum are from the old stories that the Eagle carried Ganymede to the heavens and stood in attendance on Jove. As the eagles often were confused with the vultures in Greek and Roman ornithology, at least in nomenclature, Aquila also was Vultur volans, the stars; beta - Alshain and gamma - Tarazed, on either side of alpha - Altair, marking the outstretched wings; this title appearing even as late as Flamsteed's day, and its translation, the 'Flying Grype', becoming the old English name, especially with astrologers, who ascribed to it 'mighty virtue'. [SLM p.56].

The Eagle, in a much varied orthography, was used for our constellation by all the Greeks; while poetically it was the Bird of Zeus; the King of Birds, which, ornithologically, has come to our day.  Later on it had titles signifying torture, referring to the story of the eagle 'which preyed on the liver of Prometheus'. Similarly we find Aquila Promethei and Tortor Promethei; Ideler said that this idea came from a confusion by Scaliger of the Arabic Ikab, Torture, and Okab, Eagle. [SLM p.56].

It was thought that its name, Aquila, was given when it was near the summer solstice, and that the bird of highest flight was chosen to express the greatest elevation of the Sun; and it was asserted that the famous three Stymphalian Birds of mythology (see Heracles, 6th labor) were represented by Aquila, Cygnus, and Vultur cadens, our Lyra, which are located together in the sky; the argument being that these are all paranatellons of Sagittarius, which is the fifth in the line of zodiacal constellations beginning with Leo, the Nemean lion, the object of Hercules' first labor, while the slaying of the birds was the fifth. Appropriately enough, like so much other stellar material, these creatures came from Arabia, migrating thence either to the Instila Martis, or to Lake stymphalis, where Hercules encountered them. The fable, in Greek ornithology, of the eagle attacking the swan, but defeated by it, is said to be symbolical of "Aquila, which rises in the East, immediately after Cygnus, but, setting in the West, goes down a little while before that more northern constellation". [SLM p.57].

The Turks called it Taushaugjil 'Hunting Eagle'. The Hebrews knew it as Neshr, an Eagle, Falcon, or Vulture; and the Chaldee Paraphrase asserted that it was figured on the banners of Dan; but as these tribal symbols properly were for the zodiac, Scorpio usually was ascribed to Dan. This confusion may have originated from the fact that in Abraham's day Scorpio was figured as an eagle. Aquila represented the 'eagle of military Rome', 'the Eagle of Saint John the Evangelist' and Saint 'Catherine the Martyr'. The Eagle was represented on the Polish and Teutonic coats of arms. It was the German Adler, French Aigle. [SLM p.57]. In the Book of Revelations (4: 7) "and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle".

The Chinese had 'Draught Oxen' 500 years before Christ. "Brilliant show the Draught Oxen, but they do not serve to draw our carts". The three bright stars were their Cowherd from whom the Magpie's Bridge gives access to the Spinning Damsel (Lyra) across the River of the Sky; the Milky Way. [SLM p.58].

The Koreans give more detail, they turn the Cowherd into a Prince and the Spinster into his ride., both banished to different parts of the sky by the irate father-in-law, but with the privilege of an annual meeting if they can cross the River. This they accomplish through the friendly aid of the good-natured magpies, who congregate from all over the kingdom during the seventh moon, and on its seventh night form the fluttering bridge across which the couple meet, lovers still, although married. When the day is over they return to their respective places of exile and the bridge breaks up, the birds scattering to their various homes, with bare heads, the feathers having been worn off by the trampling feet of the Prince and his retinue. But as all this happens during the bird's molting time, the bare heads are not to be wondered at. [SLM p.58].

The eagle is solar and a symbol of all sky; the meridian sun, the spiritual principle, ascension, inspiration, release from bondage, victory, pride, dignity, contemplation, royalty, authority, strength, height, the element of air, warriors, courage, keen vision, tenacity, fearlessness, the symbol and agent of apotheosis after death (transformation into a god). Thought to be able to fly up to the sun and gaze unwavering upon it and to identify with it. Looking at the sun without blinking is Christ gazing on the glory of god. The soaring eagle is the liberated spiritual part of the prima materia in alchemy. An attribute if Zeus and as his lightening-bearer, holds Zeus' thunderbolts in his talons [IEC p.58]. In all cultures it is always representative of the highest gods and greatest heroes. The eagle too is the collective symbol of the father and all father-figures. As with all symbols, the eagle has its dark, malign and sinister (left-hand) side. This is an exaggeration of its qualities, the perversion of its strength and its inordinate self-exaltation. In dreams and visions, the eagle like the lion embodies lofty thoughts and its significance is almost always positive. It symbolizes the 'sudden impulse', 'devouring spiritual passion', but its characteristics as a bird of prey which carries victims off to eyries, from which they cannot escape, makes it the symbol of an undeviating and devouring thirst for power as well. If it is applied to Christian tradition, this same reversal of images leads from Christ to Anti-Christ. In this context the eagle becomes the symbol of pride and of oppression, the cruel and greedy bird of prey. [PDS p.327].

           
Symbology of eagles: Among the Greeks and Romans, the eagle was the appointed bird of Jupiter and consequently signified the swiftly moving forces of the Demiurgus; hence it was looked upon as the mundane lord of the birds, in contradistinction to the phoenix, which was symbolic of the celestial ruler. The eagle typified the Sun in its material phase and also the immutable Demiurgic law beneath which all mortal creatures must bend. The eagle was also the Hermetic symbol of sulfur, and signified the mysterious fire of Scorpio - the most profoundly significant sign of the zodiac and the Gate of the Great Mystery. Being one of the three symbols of Scorpio, the eagle, like the Goat of Mendes, was an emblem of the theurgic art and the secret processes by which the infernal fire of the scorpion was transmuted into the spiritual light-fire of the gods.
Among certain American Indian tribes the thunderbird (eagle) is held in peculiar esteem. This divine creature is said to live above the clouds; the flapping of its wings causes the rumbling which accompanies storms, while the flashes from its eyes are the lightning. Birds were used to signify the vital breath; and among the Egyptians, mysterious hawk-like birds with human heads, and carrying in their claws the symbols of immortality, are often shown hovering as emblems of the liberated soul over the mummified bodies of the dead. In Egypt the hawk was the sacred symbol of the Sun; and Ra, Osiris, and Horus are often depicted with the heads of hawks. ["The Secret Teachings Of All Ages". Manly P Hall, 1928].
   

   
The eagle is an attribute of all sky gods and particularly of Jupiter; it represents spiritual power, majesty, victory and ascension; it is also a natural attribute of of war gods and of storm gods who bring lightening and fertilizing rain. In mythology the solar eagle is always at enmity with the dark and chthonic powers represented by the serpent, while the eagle in conflict with the Lion or Bull depicts the spirit or mind against the physical and material; the eagle always wins. In some cultures such as the Native American culture, hawks and eagles are considered sacred, symbols of spirit, wisdom and power. Even their feathers and talons have a special meaning in ceremonies and ceremonial dress. The eagle-feature headdress represents the thunderbird, the Great Spirit; it is the master of height and carries the prayers of the people to the Father Sun. For the shaman the bird embodies the power of the Great Spirit and represents the state of illumination attained in initiation. The Eagle expresses an archetypal energy that expands the boundaries of the self through increased awareness. In China the eagle is essentially solar and yang and associated with authority and fearlessness; with the Raven it is also connected with war gods. The two headed eagle is an emblem of twin gods depicting power and omniscience. It appeared on Hittite monuments and was an attribute of Nergal, it passed from the Hittites on to  Byzantium, appearing later in the Roman Empire; it was later adopted by Ivan 111 of Russia in 1472. As the eagle was believed to be able to look at the Sun without blinking, so, in Christianity, did Christ gaze at the glory of God; grasping the serpent in its talons was the victory over sin; it also represents the inspiration of the Gospels, hence its use as a lectern. It is the Spirit, aspiration and endeavor. It is the emblem of St John the Evangelist, of St Augustine, St George the Great. The Golden Eagle and the Spread Eagle are commemorative of the Crusades and were the devices of the Eastern Roman Empire. ["Brewers Book of Myth and Legend" written in the Victorian era (?), Cassell Publishers Ltd, Helicon, 1994.].

   

   
Some facts about eagles: Wherever they are seen by humans; hawks and eagles are greatly admired for their strength and beauty in flight. Aquila is the eagle who flies higher than any other creature and has the sharpest vision. The eyesight of a hawk is eight times as powerful as a human's. If a hawk could read, it could read a newspaper from seven stories high, or see a mouse in a field a mile away, but, the reason hawks crash into fences is they are far sighted. The eagle is a large diurnal bird of prey that has been a symbol of power and courage since ancient times. The name eagle is derived from the Roman name for the golden eagle, "Aquila". The bald eagle is currently on the United States endangered species list. It is characterized by stout legs, strong feet with sharp talons, and a strongly hooked bill that is nearly as long as its head. The eagle uses its talons and bill for eating. It has unfeathered feet and toes and the adults can grow to be 30 to 40 inches long with a wingspan of 6 to 8 feet long. While in pursuit of its prey, mainly fish, the bald eagle uses a swooping down or direct diving pursuit flight. The female is larger than the male. Young birds of both sexes are larger than adults. They will hunt with their parents and fly as a family unit for four to five months before they are on their own. A mature eagle is 5 years and older. Eagles can reach speeds of 60-80 kph in level flight. Eagles can detect movement on the ground up to 3 km away, but have a poor sense of taste and smell. Eagles often mate for life and often return to the same nesting site year after year. One Nova Scotia nest measured 8ft in depth and 8ft in width. 40% of newly fledged eagles do not survive their first year Bald Eagles can live up to 50 years in captivity - but only 25 years in the wild. Eagles don't acquire their trademark black body, white head & tail and yellow beak & talons until they are approximately 5 years old. 


Astrological influence of the constellation

According to Ptolemy the influence of Aquila is similar to that of Mars and Jupiter. It is said to give great imagination, strong passions, indomitable will, a dominating character, and influence over others, clairvoyance, a keen penetrating mind and ability for chemical research. It has always been associated with the sign Scorpio and by the Kabalists with the Hebrew letter Vau and the 6th Tarot Trump "The Lovers". (Robson).

Antinous is now taken as part of this constellation. It lies just south of Altair in Aquila. No astrological influence was suggested for this constellation by the ancients, but it seems to have been associated with the ideas of passion, love and friendship, for certain of its components stars were named Alkhalimain or Al Halilain, the Two Friends, by the Arabs, and the Kabalists associated it with the Hebrew letter Vau and the 6th Tarot Trump "The Lovers." It has also been said to give a love of swimming, and to be connected with certain sex irregularities [homosexuality], the latter probably being greatest in that part of the constellation lying in Capricorn. [Altair is said to be included and those stars south of Altair are; beta (Alshain), gamma (Dheneb Okab),  iota, eta and lamda]. (Robson).

"The Eagle, soars to the heights, the bird of mighty Jupiter carrying thunderbolts, it is a bird worthy of Jupiter and the sky, which it furnishes with awful armaments. This bird brings back the thunderbolts which Jupiter has flung and fights in the service of heaven. He that is born on earth in the hour of its rising, will grow up bent on spoil and plunder, won even with bloodshed; he will draw no line between peace and war, between citizen and foe, and when he is short of men to kill he will engage in butchery of beast. He is a law unto himself, and rushes violently wherever his fancy takes him; in his eyes to show contempt for everything merits praise. Yet, should perchance his aggressiveness be enlisted in a righteous cause, depravity will turn into virtue, and he will succeed in bringing wars to a conclusion and enriching his country with glorious triumphs. And, since the Eagle does not wield, but supplies weapons, seeing that it brings back and restores to Jupiter the fires and bolts he has hurled, in time of war such a man will be the aide of a king or of some mighty general, and his strength will render them important service". (Manilus, book 5 of Astronomica).

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My own take on it is that present-day Ace Combat 'squadrons' are outgrowths of a pervasive rumor (or a lot of wishful thinking) that Ace Combat 5 would offer group online play.

When that didn't happen, some people (myself included) decided to form our own 'squadrons' for basically fraternal purposes (online friends).

I started Yellow Squadron under the name Yellow 13, because it and he were about the most famous group and ace from Ace Combat 4 (with the obvious exception of Mobius One).

I recognized that Yellow 13 displayed concepts of honor and mercy that no enemy in Ace Combat (before or since) had shown before. I pushed the idea that Yellow Squadron were not 'bad guys', they were just on the wrong side of the conflict.

Setting up a private forum (link is in my sig) with a few pilots that admired the aircraft, skill and honor of the Yellows (and weren't you scared shitless when you could not shoot them down in 'Lifeline'?) I attracted others who wanted a more military structure in their 'clan'.....as ex-USAF, I could provide that, and, as time went on, we formed a lot of the precepts of today's Aquila Wing. I developed a squadron sig for my members, plus a ranking and award (ribbons) system, and pushed practice in the air and honesty and respect toward others on the ground.

We were the first 'upstart' squadron on ac.net (after the existing Sins & Saints, HellCats and American Based Fighter Squadron (ABFS)), and we brought new attitudes and excitement to the forum.

As time went on, we reorganized into 'flights', splitting the squadron into three lesser units, to enable the members to develop their own group 'personality'. As long as they hewed to the original concepts of honor, honesty, loyalty, skill and respect, they were allowed to find their own expression of their group.

I began to assemble a 'history', if you will, of Yellow Squadron, based in part upon some fan-fics written by various ac.net members, plus my own concepts. We continue to add to that honorable history to this day.

We became one of the pre-eminent squadrons on ac.net, by virtue of our skills in the air (proven in various game scoring competitions), our integrity, and our determination to be 'The most feared and respected squadron in the history of Ace Combat'.

A few months ago, we merged the smaller Eagle Squadron into our organization, renaming it Blue Squadron, and allowing members to fly American type aircraft, whereas Yellow Squadron had been restricted to flying Soviet makes (based upon the Yellow Squadron in AC4 flying the Sukhoi Su-37 Terminator). This was the 'official' rebirth of the 156th Tactical Fighter (Aquila) Wing from AC4, that was destroyed by the end of Ace Combat 4.

Shortly afterwards, a well-respected and mature member of ac.net approached me about transferring to my unit, as it seemed to offer more of what he was looking for. This was a godsend, as this person was perfect for leading our immediately-formed third squadron, Red Squadron, which flies European make aircraft. Several members of both Yellow and Blue Squadrons petitioned for transfer to this new unit, most of them rated as 'Elite Aces' (having attained 850,000 points total for the 32 missions of AC5).

Presently, all three squadrons of Aquila are participating in the second annual Inter Squadron Competition, sponsored by the successor to ac.net, ACSkies. Due to scoring issues, we are not sure, but we are confident that Red Squadron will take the prize this year, as Yellow Squadron did in the first.

Pride runs high in Aquila, evidenced by our Battle Anthem (taken from the WWII German Tank Corps song, 'Panzerlied') and our latest work, our Battle Hymn (the words and music to which are available here in the following thread - http://www.namco.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6366 )

I invite you to listen to the music, follow along with the words, and see for yourself what Aquila Wing is, and where it intends to go in the future.

If this kind of (para) military organization appeals to you, just click on my sig to visit our home forum and learn more.

Thanks for your time and attention.

Yellow 13, Major General
Commander
156th TFW (Based in Yuktobania)

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Eagles live in the sky;
Squadrons, Red and Blue and Yellow,
I know that I was born to fly;
To spread my wings across the sky.

Man is always at war;
Nations cannot live together,
"Defend The Weak!" our battle cry (our battle cry);
Aquila, Masters of the sky (Yes, of the sky).

Still, we send out a prayer;
That all wars will end forever,
Let Man reach out to fellow Man;
And peace shall reign throughout the land.

Honor lives in the sky;
Colored Red and Blue and Yellow,
I swear that I will always try (Yes, I will try);
I'll be Aquila till I die (until I die).

CODA:

Wherever freedom is found,
That's where Aquila is bound;
We fight to see that we'll fight - no - more.