The owl
In Greece, the night bird owl (Greek: glaux, Latin: ulula) was consecrated to the goddess Athena, who bore the nickname of the owl eyes (glaukopis) in Greece. Because of its stay in silent walls and its nightly wanderings, the owl was regarded as a symbol of study and wisdom.
Athens was rich in owls. She was often minted on coins. In the vernacular, coins of this kind were also called "owls". Even today we still use the bon mot "carrying owls to Athens" in the sense of something superfluous and useless in the way that no more owls were needed in Athens.
In the Christian art of late antiquity, the owl became a symbol of earthly folly. A cross on her head therefore meant Christianity's victory over its enemies.
Owl exhibit of the Athens National Archaeological Museum
