# The scepter

Since Antiquity, the authority of gods, kings, or shepherds over the cosmos, their subjects or their flock has been symbolized by a staff of command.

In the context of French royalty, the scepter is topped with a fleur-de-lys.

Antoine Benoist : Column statue of a king of the Old Testament,
Abbey of Saint-Denis, central portal of the western facade,
first column statue of the right jamb from the interior.
Paris, BNF, département des Manuscrits, fr. 15634, fol. 62