(Roman history) A bundle of rods or sticks, bound together; a symbol of authority.
Bundle of rods with an axe used to symbolise authority
Bundle of rods with an axe carried before ancient Roman magistrates, symbolizing authority.
In ancient Rome, bundles of rods carried in procession by the lictors (minor officials) in front of the chief magistrates, as a symbol of the latter's power over the lives and liberties of the people. An axe was included in the bundle. The fasces were revived in the 20th century as the symbol of fascism.