Plate: Athena Seated with Owl

This red terracotta depiction of Athena by Oltos in the late 16th century BCE was photographed by Johannes Laurentius and depicts Athena with an owl perched on her hand and seated. The owl is Athena’s main bird symbol and remains one of the most important symbols that represent Athena as a whole. The owl can signify the coming of rain, but also the arrival of war which is one of Athena’s main domains as a major goddess. Along with that, this depiction has Athena seated in a more peaceful manner, this connects to her title: “Mother”. This is one of the most clear depictions of her multifaceted nature as she both maintains the title of “Mother” with an almost loving or caring connotation, while at the same time holding an owl, the harbinger of war.

Oltos. Plate: Athena Seated with Owl [Attischer Teller; Athena Mit Der Eule in Der Hand]. last quarter 6th century BCE. Terracotta, red-figure; gebrannter Ton / rotfigurige Maltechnik, 2.6 x 23.5 x 23.5 cm. Antikensammlung, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin; http://www.smb.museum/smb/home/index.php?lang=de. https://jstor.org/stable/community.15720532.