The aegis or aigis (Ancient Greek: ; English pronunciation: /ids/[1]), as stated in the Iliad,

is carried by Athena and Zeus, but its nature is uncertain. It had been interpreted as an animal
skin or a shield, sometimes bearing the head of a Gorgon. There may be a connection with a
deity named Aex or Aix, a daughter of Helios and a nurse of Zeus or alternatively a mistress of
Zeus (Hyginus,Astronomica 2. 13). The aegis of Athena is referred to in several places in
the Iliad. "It produced a sound as from a myriad roaring dragons (Iliad, 4.17) and was borne by
Athena in battle ... and among them went bright-eyed Athene, holding the precious aegis which is
ageless and immortal: a hundred tassels of pure gold hang fluttering from it, tight-woven each of
them, and each the worth of a hundred oxen."[2]
The modern concept of doing something "under someone's aegis" means doing something under
the protection of a powerful, knowledgeable, or benevolent source. The word aegis is identified
with protection by a strong force with its roots in Greek mythology and adopted by the Romans;
there are parallels in Norse mythology and in Egyptian mythology as well, where the Greek
word aegis is applied by extension.