Flag of Greece of the exact reasoning behind its official adoption in early 1822. It has been suggested by some Greek historians that the current flag derived from an older design, the virtually identical flag of the powerful Cretan Kallergis family. This flag was based on their coat of arms, whose pattern is supposed to be derived from the standards of their claimed ancestor, Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus II Phocas (963–969 AD). This pattern (according to not easily verifiable descriptions) included nine stripes of alternating blue and white, as well as a cross, assumed to be placed on the upper left. Although the use
Order of the Cross of the Eagle the Eagle comprises eight classes: The crosses of all the classes of the Order of the Cross of the Eagle have the same design. The colour tone of the orange moiré ribands belonging to the decorations of all the classes of the Order of the Cross of the Eagle is determined according to the international PANTONE colour-table as 137 MC. The Order of the Cross of the Eagle is a military decoration if two crossed swords are affixed to it as follows: The medals of the affiliated crosses of the Order of the Cross of the Eagle have swords in