The aegis is the shield of Zeus (originally a "goat-skin"), which thunders when he shakes it. Athena also bore the aegis, often tasseled and with the head of Medusa affixed, its petrifying power still intact. This divine shield afforded safety and security and so to be under the aegis of an individual or of an institution is to be favored with protection, sponsorship, or patronage.
Comments: Aegis