"Owl of Minerva" redirects here. For the scientific journal, see The Owl of Minerva (journal).
Silver tetradrachm coin at the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon depicting the owl of Athena (c. 480–420BC). The inscription "ΑΘΕ" is an abbreviation of ΑΘΗΝΑΙΩΝ, which may be translated as "of the Athenians". In daily use the Athenian drachmas were called glaukes (γλαῦκες, owls). This silver coin was first issued in 479BC in Athens after the Persians were defeated by the Greeks.[1]
In Greek mythology, a little owl (Athene noctua) traditionally represents or accompanies Athena, the virgin goddess of wisdom, or Minerva, her syncretic incarnation in Roman mythology.[2] Because of such association, the bird—often referred to as the "owl of Athena" or the "owl of Minerva"—has been used as a symbol of knowledge, wisdom, perspicacity and erudition throughout the Western world.[3][4]
^Grabham, Sue (1995). "Greece: People and History". Encyclopedia of Lands & Peoples. London: Kingfisher. p. 105. ISBN 1-85697-292-5.
^Eason, Cassandra (2008). Fabulous Creatures, Mythical Monsters, and Animal Power Symbols: A Handbook. Westport, CT, USA: Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 71. ISBN 9780275994259. The Roman goddess of wisdom Minerva has the owl as her sacred creature, as does her ancient Greek counterpart Athena. Athena was often depicted with an owl, which was considered a symbol of wisdom in both cultures. The best known image of Athena's owl, the Little Owl, is seen on ancient Athenian coins dating from the fifth centuryBCE. To the Romans an owl feather placed near sleeping people would prompt them to speak in their sleep and reveal their secrets. However, in Rome the owl was considered a harbinger of death if it perched on a roof or on a public building and hooted. The deaths of several Roman emperors, including the assassination of Julius Caesar, were signaled by an owl landing on the roof and hooting.
^Berger, Cynthia (2005). Owls. Mechanicsburg, PA, USA: Stackpole Books. p. X. ISBN 9780811732130. Minerva's owl wisdom.
^Deacy, Susan J.; Villing, Alexandra (2001). Athena in the Classical World. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill. ISBN 978-9004121423.
In Greek mythology, a little owl (Athene noctua) traditionally represents or accompanies Athena, the virgin goddess of wisdom, or Minerva, her syncretic...
little owl (Athene noctua), also known as the owlofAthena or owlof Minerva, is a bird that inhabits much of the temperate and warmer parts of Europe...
ofAthena. Nilsson and others have claimed that, in early times, Athena was either an owl herself or a bird goddess in general. In the third book of the...
The Athena Promachos (Ἀθηνᾶ Πρόμαχος, "Athena who fights in the front line") was a colossal bronze statue ofAthena sculpted by Pheidias, which stood...
and on the reverse the image of the owlofAthena, the iconographic symbol of the Athenian polis, with a sprig of olive and a crescent for the moon. According...
sword of Damocles", an allusion to the imminent and ever-present peril faced by those in positions of power. Damocles was a courtier in the court of Dionysius...
ambrosia the food of the gods; it was with ambrosia that Hera "cleansed all defilement from her lovely flesh", and with ambrosia Athena prepared Penelope...
the idea of the Trojan Horse's construction comes from Helenus, who prophesies that the Greeks must dedicate a wooden horse to Athena. Thirty of the Achaeans'...
One of the earliest known ouroboros motifs is found in the Enigmatic Book of the Netherworld, an ancient Egyptian funerary text in KV62, the tomb of Tutankhamun...
Coat of arms of Irbit, Russia Coat of arms of Bengtsfors Municipality, Sweden Coat of arms of Balta, Ukraine Coat of arms of Berdychiv, Ukraine Coat of arms...
mentioned in several ancient writings, including the story of Atlantis in the Critias of Plato. Within the dialogue, Critias (460–403 BC) says that orichalcum...
that no contemporary statues of a standing Athena show her holding an owl. Her left arm is posed to hold a spear. The cloth of the peplos appears heavy,...
newer generation of Apollo and Athena. The jury vote is evenly split. Athena participates in the vote and chooses for acquittal. Athena declares Orestes...
offers multiple explanations of the origin of the cornucopia. One of the best-known involves the birth and nurturance of the infant Zeus, who had to be...
invisible, also known as the Cap of Hades or Helm of Hades. Wearers of the cap in Greek myths include Athena, the goddess of wisdom, the messenger god Hermes...
Peleus and Thetis in the Greek myth of the Judgement of Paris. It sparked a vanity-fueled dispute among Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite that eventually led...
Medea— who had a history in Athens as the opponent of Theseus—but Athena. The very early origin of the myth in preliterate times means that during the...
the Rod of Asclepius (⚕; Ancient Greek: Ῥάβδος τοῦ Ἀσκληπιοῦ, Rhábdos toû Asklēpioû, sometimes also spelled Asklepios), also known as the Staff of Aesculapius...
romanized: Ixionídai, lit. 'sons of Ixion'), is a creature from Greek mythology with the upper body of a human and the lower body and legs of a horse that was said...
is the ethereal fluid that is the blood of the gods and/or immortals. The Ancient Greek word ἰχώρ (ikhṓr) is of uncertain etymology, and has been suggested...
falls under my face, and if one half of the iron sword is in danger of dying, it is not. "P23.19B PERSEUS & ATHENA". Theoi. Retrieved 6 December 2020....
depicting the OwlofAthena 2-drachma coin with a soldier standing in front of a Phoenix The first issues of banknotes were in denominations of 10, 20 and...
Athena; and north of the Parthenon was the magnificent Erechtheion, containing three separate temples, one to Athena Polias, or the "Protectress of the...
northern hawk-owl and the gregarious burrowing owl. Owls are divided into two families: the true (or typical) owl family, Strigidae, and the barn-owl family...
vessel with the help ofAthena. The ship was built for travel in the open sea and designed to move quickly with the assistance of a sail. Apollodorus stated...
polearm. The trident is the tool of Poseidon (Greek) or Neptune (Roman) used for the protection of the sea realms, the god of the sea in classical mythology...
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