The Engineer Emblem

The Engineer’s emblem is the ram. It symbolizes the siege ram, of striking nature of ancient Greeks, which was used for violating the entrenchment. The ram, as a siege machine, was delivered by the Ancient Greeks and was initially used by the Romans and posterior by the Byzantines. In the “tactics” Leo VI the wise says that among the siege machines are included the so called ”seige rams” .For the protection of the city walls against the siege rams, packsaddles field by straw or sand were used.

The head of the ram in various representations of the Ionians symbolized the force and the power. The ram in ancient time was the symbol of freedom. Frixus and Elli mounted on a ram in their attempt for escape from inner Asia to the free and democratic Greece. Ram fleece was the Golden Fleece, which Jason managed to seize with the help of Argonauts, and he killed the dreadful dragon, symbol of slavery, and he emancipated the daughter.

Over the ram there is an epigram, which says ”as long with the words the acts come”, meaning immediate after a decision has taken place, it must be implemented, exactly as in the operations of Engineering.

This epigram expresses a military principle, which was adopted, preserved and delivered by the Ancient Greeks through Byzantine to the modern times. Leo VI the wise mentioned the following in his work “tactics” :

The military has to think before his actions, because command without thought is not safe, though by hasty reaction, something can be accomplished. This is why we urge the military to think thoroughly before every war operation, and to think more with those who are capable of considering serious cases. When the military takes a decision he must then execute it immediately, until the final accomplishment.

The major general must think slowly if a need arises, but if there is no relevant obstacle he must react fast.