Actually the descendants of Illyrians preferred another name - the imperial double headed eagle. Romans had always employed the single head eagle as their military ensign or standard. When Illyrian generals got elevated to the imperial throne they introduced the Hittite double headed eagle they had inherited from their Anatolian ancestors. (There is still a mountainous region in Albania called Hoti similar to ancient HATTI - the capital of Hittites.)
Hittites together with Persians probably borrowed the symbol of double headed eagle from an older civilization - Sumerian.
The final proof that Illyrians had employed the double headed eagle before they introduced that symbol to Roman standards exists in the city of Sirkap (Pakistan). Along the main street of Sirkap, the ancient city, sits the Double-Headed Eagle Shrine. Its original name is lost, but is now referred to as the double-Headed Eagle Shrine because of the bird bas-relief that adorns the arch (images two and three). The Double-Headed Eagle Shrine was built by Macedonian, Greek and Illyrian soldiers. Alexander the Great employed Illyrian and Greek troops in his campaign to India.
The eagle was considered to be the sacred bird of Jupiter - the sky god among Indo Europeans.
Pra, ka kohe qe Shqiponja dykrereshe eshte e Shqiptarve.
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