The politics of bundling sticks

In ancient Rome, once a war broke out, the Senate appointed a consul as an autocrat, and there were only two consuls, which showed the status of despots. Dictators, as the name implies, have arbitrary power. The consul has 12 entourage with a bundle of sticks on his shoulders.

It is said that this is a kind of torture device, with a bundle of sticks tied around it, and the sticks vary in thickness. When the Roman consul visits, local officials need to refer undecided cases to the consul for decision. If the crime is not fatal, they will choose sticks with different thicknesses according to the severity of the crime and hit the criminals.

This bundle of sticks is called "Fasses"

The original meaning of "binding sticks" evolved into "fascism", which was first put forward by Mussolini of Italy after the First World War. Fascism emphasizes that nation (race or country) is the center and regulator of all history and life, and emphasizes the absolute authority of leaders.

1922, Mussolini named his political party after "fascism", adopted "binding" as party emblem, practiced autocratic and centralized rule, and publicized fascist supremacism and racism, believing that the external expansion of fascist countries or "superior races" was reasonable and inevitable. Its influence spread to Germany, Japan, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa and other countries. Later, Italian, German and Japanese fascists launched the Second World War, and fascism was notorious for its complete failure. After the fascist leader Mussolini formed the fascist party and became the prime minister of Italy, 1923, Italy specially issued two commemorative gold coins with a bundle of sticks and the size of an axe, and also issued 1 circulating nickel coins with the same pattern to show "belief, obedience and fighting". The currency of a bundle of sticks didn't change shape until 1935.

The binding stick was invented in ancient Rome, but unfortunately there was no such pattern on ancient Roman coins. However, the tomahawk pattern on Italian coins can be seen occasionally on ancient Roman coins, but it only appears alone, not with wooden sticks. However, you can see a double-headed axe similar to a bundle stick on ancient Greek coins. However, it is the symbol of Adade, and Adade is the weather god believed by Babylon and Assyria. The double-headed axe facing the opposite direction indicates that Adade can not only give life, but also destroy it. During World War II, Vichy government, the puppet government of France under German occupation, issued coins with a double-headed axe pattern symbolizing a bundle of sticks. In addition, the reverse side of the 19 16- 1945 coin issued by the United States is a bundle of sticks decorated with olive branches. Although its original intention is not fascism, it may reflect the prototype of some ancient bundles. 1895-1898 after the Cuban people fought the second war of independence, there was a bundle of sticks decorated with free hats above the shield of the Cuban national emblem, which symbolized the authority and freedom of the Cuban people's revolutionary independence. This pattern is very common on Cuban coins.