Fasces << FAS eez >> were a symbol of power in the days of the Roman Republic, of the Roman Empire, and, later, of Benito Mussolini’s Fascist government in Italy. Fasces consisted of a bundle of birch or elm rods bound together by a strap. The blade of an ax projected from the bundle. Servants called lictors carried these bundles ahead of such officials as magistrates, governors, and emperors. The fasces stood for the official’s power to punish people or put them to death, and also symbolized unity. Fasces appear on the back of some American dimes.
