Description
GRIFFIN-The griffin, or gryps, is a beast with the head and wings of an eagle fused to the body of a lion. A clan of the creatures protected the rich gold deposits in the Scythian mountains from incursions by the one-eyed Arimaspians. On this silver diobol from Ionia, Teos (320-294 BCE), a griffin sits with its forepaw raised.—DELPHIN-Dolphin-shaped sea demons in the service of Poseidon, god of the sea. For their service in his wooing of the nymph Amphitrite, the god placed the dolphin among the stars as the constellation Delphinus. Twin delphins grace this bronze unit from Syracuse (275-215 BCE). Poseidon’s bust is on the obverse.—HEIFER-Io was a Naiad and a princess of Argive. She was also Zeus’s lover. When Hera, his wife, caught them in the act, the god transformed Io into a heifer, to protect her. Cows were also sacred to Apollo. This silver drachm from Illyria, Apollonia (c.229-100 BCE) features a heifer.
