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The owl of Athena even became the common obverse of the Athenian tetradrachms after 510 BC and according to Philochorus, [12] the Athenian tetradrachm was known as glaux (γλαύξ, little owl) [13] throughout the ancient world and "owl" in present-day numismatics.
The species name noctua has, in effect, the same meaning, being the Latin name of an owl sacred to Minerva, Athena's Roman counterpart. [8] The little owl is probably most closely related to the spotted owlet (Athene brama). A number of variations occur over the bird's wide range and there is some dispute over their taxonomy.
The type species was designated as the little owl (Athene noctua) by the English zoologist George Robert Gray in 1841. [2] [3] The genus name is from the little owl which was closely associated with the Greek goddess Athena, and often depicted with her. Her original role as a goddess of the night might explain the link to an owl. [4]
An Athenian tetradrachm from after 499 BC, showing the head of Athena and the owl. The transition from didrachms to tetradrachms occurred during c. 525 –510 BC; the abandonment of the "heraldic"-type didrachms and the Archaic tetradrachms (early "owls") of the polis of Athens apparently took place shortly after the Battle of Salamis, 480 BC ...
Nyctimene's name is derived from the Greek words νύξ (genitive νυκτός) meaning "night" [2] and μένω meaning "I stay", [3] that is, she who stays up at night (the owl). Both compound words are of Proto-Indo-European origin; νύξ from the PIE root *nókʷts , [ 4 ] and μένω from *men- .
The three most important standards of the ancient Greek monetary system were the Attic standard, based on the Athenian drachma of 4.3 grams (2.8 pennyweights) of silver, the Corinthian standard based on the stater of 8.6 g (5.5 dwt) of silver, that was subdivided into three silver drachmas of 2.9 g (1.9 dwt), and the Aeginetan stater or didrachm of 12.2 g (7.8 dwt), based on a drachma of 6.1 g ...
In Greek mythology Nyctaea (Ancient Greek: Νυκταία, romanized: Nuktaía, lit. 'nocturnal') is a princess featuring in two stories about father-daughter incest, who is eventually turned into an owl by the goddess Athena.
The Acropolis at Athens (1846) by Leo von Klenze.Athena's name probably comes from the name of the city of Athens. [4] [5]Athena is associated with the city of Athens. [4] [6] The name of the city in ancient Greek is Ἀθῆναι (Athȇnai), a plural toponym, designating the place where—according to myth—she presided over the Athenai, a sisterhood devoted to her worship. [5]