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Although flag-like symbols have
been used by ancient cultures for thousands of
years, the origin of flags in the modern
sense is a matter of dispute. Some believe flags
originated in China, while others hold that the
Roman Empire's vexillum was the first true flag.
Originally, the standards of the Roman legions were
not flags, but symbols like the eagle of Caesar's
Xth legion; this eagle would be placed on a staff
for the standard-bearer to hold up during battle.
But a military unit from Scythia had for a standard
a dragon with a flexible tail which would move in
the wind; the legions copied this; eventually all
the legions had flexible standards — our modern-day
flag.
During the Middle Ages, flags were used mainly
during battles to identify individual leaders: in
Europe the knights, in Japan the samurai, and in
China the generals under the imperial army.
From the time of Christopher Columbus onwards, it
has been customary (and later a legal requirement)
for ships to carry flags designating their
nationality; these flags eventually evolved into the
national flags and maritime flags of today. Flags
also became the preferred means of communications at
sea, resulting in various systems of flag signals;
see International maritime signal flags.
Beginning in the 17th century, European knights were
replaced by centralized armies, and flags became the
means to identify not just nationalities but also
individual military units. Flags became much more
elaborate, and were seen as objects to be captured
or defended. Eventually these flags posed too much
danger to those carrying them, and by World War I
these were withdrawn from the battlefields, and have
since been used only at ceremonial occasions.
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