The Egyptians associated the phoenix with immortality, and that symbolism had a widespread appeal in late antiquity. The phoenix was compared to undying Rome, and it appears on the coinage of the late Roman Empire as a symbol of the Eternal City. In some traditions it appears in good times but hides during times of trouble, while in other traditions it appeared only to mark the beginning of a NEW ERA. In China and Japan it was a symbol of the imperial house, and it represented "fire, the sun, justice, obedience, and fidelity". Following this logic, the bird is actually a symbol of the union between femininity and masculinity, or yin and yang. The phoenix is often depicted together with a dragon, the symbol for masculinity and the emperor. Together, they symbolise the emperor and empress, o