In Greek mythology, Aetos Dios was the eagle that served as Zeus’s personal emblem and messenger.
The Greek name Aetos Dios means “Eagle of Zeus.” The bird represented Zeus’s authority and was frequently associated with his power over the sky. Ancient art often showed an eagle beside Zeus, holding or standing near his thunderbolt.
Aetos Dios is sometimes blended with other figures connected to Zeus. Ganymede was a mortal youth carried to Olympus to serve as cupbearer, while the eagle was the divine bird itself. Some later traditions even identify the eagle as a transformed human, but accounts vary about the details.
The eagle’s role also influenced Roman imagery of Jupiter, Zeus’s Roman counterpart. Because eagles were real symbols of military power and rulership, the mythic bird became a durable emblem in ancient Greek and Roman art, coins, and political symbolism.