The Griffin is a legendary creature with the head, beak and wings of an eagle, the body of a lion and occasionally the tail of a serpent or scorpion.
Its origin lies somewhere in the Middle East where it is found in the paintings and sculptures of the ancient Babylonians, Assyrians and Persians. In Greek mythology they belonged to Zeus.
The later Romans used them for decoration and even in Christian times the Griffin motif often appears.
Griffins were frequently used as gargoyles on medieval churches and buildings.
This is a detailed reproduction of an ancient Griffin bust from Olympia,the home of the Olympic Games.It was originally attached to a bronze kettle.
Dated to 750 B.C., National Archaeological Museum in Athens.
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