in Roman antiquity, axes tied up together with rods, or staves, and borne before the Roman magistrates as a badge of their office and authority.

According to Florus, the use of the fasces was introduced by the elder Tarquin the fifth king of Rome; and were then the mark of the sovereign dignity. In after-times they were borne before the consuls, but by turns only, each his day; they had each of them 12, borne by as many lictors. These fasces consisted of branches of elm; having in the middle a securis or axe, the head of which stood out beyond the rest. Publius took the axe out of the fasces, as Plutarch affirms us, to remove from the people all occasion of terror. After the consuls, the pretors assumed the fasces. In the government of the decemvirs, it was the practice at first for only one of them to have the fasces. Afterwards each of them had twelve, after the manner of the kings.

When the magistrates who by right had the axes carried before them, had a mind to show some deference to the people, or some person of singular merit, they either sent away the lictors, or commanded them to lower the fasces before them, which was called submittere fasces. Many instances of this occur in Roman history.