The owl is a symbol of wisdom in ancient Athens and was associated with the goddess Athena. It appeared on Athenian coins as early as 520 BC, which were called "glaukes" meaning owl. This antique coin design featuring an owl and olive branch is still used for the contemporary 1-Euro Greek coin, depicting an old Athenian coin with its irregular outline, owl symbol, and olive branch.

4. The owl is an ancient symbol of the
wisdom of Athens and is
associated with Athena. It
appeared on coins in Athens as
early as 520 BC.
The coins were called “glaukes” –
after “glaux” the ancient Greek
for owl. This antique design is the
current design for the
contemporary Greek 1-Euro coin.
The design is actually an image of
an old Athenian coin… you can see
the irregular stamp outline, the owl
and an olive branch.

5. • The letter lambda (Λ),
standing for Laconia or
Lacedaemon, which was
painted on the Spartans'
shields, was first
adopted in the 420s BC,
and quickly became a
widely known Spartan
symbol.