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PA-3155: Ancient Greek Silver Tetradrachm: Athena and Owl. Athens, Struck c. 125-124 BC

Obverse: Helmeted head of Athena, right. Reverse: Owl standing on Amphora, Magistrates' names (Polemon, Alketes & Dionysodo), Tripod left.

28 mm, 16.90gm - (Thompson 1081a var.)

In poetry from Homer, an oral tradition of the 8th or 7th century BC, onward, Athena's most common epithet is Glaukopis, which usually is translated as, bright-eyed or with gleaming eyes. The word is a combination ofglaukos (meaning gleaming, silvery, and later, bluish-green or gray) and ops (eye, or sometimes, face).

It is interesting to note that glaux ("little owl") is from the same root, presumably according to some, because of the bird's own distinctive eyes. The bird which sees well in the night is closely associated with the goddess of wisdom: in archaic images, Athena is frequently depicted with an owl (or "owl of Athena" and later under the Roman Empire, "owl of Minerva") perched on her hand. This pairing evolved in tandem so that even today the owl is a symbol of perspicacity and erudition.