Virginia Flag - Hi Vis

Virginia

The flag of Virginia is a vivid expression of the state’s revolutionary roots and its early embrace of republican ideals. Adopted in 1861, just as Virginia seceded from the Union, the flag features the state seal on a deep blue field. At its center stands the Roman goddess Virtus, symbolizing virtue and courage, holding a spear and sword over a fallen tyrant—an allegory for victory over oppression. Beneath them appears the Latin motto Sic Semper Tyrannis, meaning “Thus Always to Tyrants,” a phrase long associated with resistance to tyranny, from ancient Rome to the American Revolution. The classical imagery was chosen in 1776, when Virginia declared independence from Britain, reflecting Enlightenment influences and the young republic’s admiration for Roman virtue. It remains one of the most strikingly political flags in the United States—an image of moral triumph wrapped in classical drama.