Which mythical bird is a symbol for the city of Atlanta and is said to rise from its ashes?

• A. Dragon
• B. Phoenix
• C. Roc
• D. Thunderbird

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is how a legendary creature can symbolize rebirth and resilience after destruction. The Phoenix fits this idea perfectly because it is the mythical bird that dies in flames and rises again from its ashes, embodying renewal. Atlanta adopted the Phoenix as its emblem to reflect how the city rebuilt itself after the devastation of the Civil War and the Great Fire of 1864, turning a shattered town into a thriving metropolis. That association with rising from ruin makes the Phoenix the best fit for representing Atlanta. The other birds are famous myths, but they don’t tie to Atlanta’s identity in the same way: a dragon is not a bird and represents different themes, the Roc is a distant legendary giant bird with no direct link to Atlanta, and the Thunderbird comes from Indigenous North American stories about storms rather than the city’s rebirth.