ancile

thumb|upright|Ancient shield illustration from Nordisk familjebok

The ancile (Latin, plural ancilia) was a sacred shield of ancient Rome. According to legend, the divine shield fell from heaven during the reign of Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome. He ordered eleven copies made to confuse would-be thieves, since the original shield was regarded as one of the pignora imperii (pledges of rule), sacred guarantors that perpetuated Rome as a sovereign entity. The shields were kept in the Temple of Mars.