One example of a symbol representing a social group is the totem of American Indians. As the great French sociologist Emile Durkheim recognized almost a century ago, the totem is “the symbol of the determined society called the clan. It is its flag; it is the sign by which each clan distinguishes itself from the others, the visible mark of its personality.” Another example is the standard of a Roman legion, called the Eagle. The Eagle was a sacred emblem of the legion; for most intents and purposes, it was the legion. It was better to die to a man than allow the enemy to capture the Eagle.
