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Author Topic: Owl medal  (Read 7966 times)

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Offline Reid Goldsborough

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Owl medal
« on: September 19, 2010, 07:56:21 pm »
This is for Nikos and anyone else whose knowledge of the Greek language is better than mine (that might be everyone).  :) I'm picturing below a medal with the owl of ancient Owls on one side and some ruins that appear to be near the Parthenon on the other side:

[BROKEN LINKS REMOVED BY ADMIN]

Anybody know the answers to these questions:

1. Does it look like the owl side or the ruins side is the obverse?

2. What is the owl standing on?

3. What ruins are depicted on the other side?

4. The legend on one side transliterates, I believe, into TON ATHENETHEN ATHLON ATLO, and on the other side into OMILOS ANTISFAIRISEOS ATHENON. I could guess what these mean, but they would be wild guesses. Anybody know?

In doing some Web research to try to learn more about this medal, I discovered that it supposedly was made in the 1930s. I don't know if this is true or not. Anybody?

I also discovered a bronze version of the same medal.

Thanks for any help.
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Offline Dino

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Re: Owl medal
« Reply #1 on: September 19, 2010, 09:07:38 pm »
Reid,

Welcome to the Athens Lawn Tennis and Squash Club!

http://www.oaa.gr/

http://www.oaa.gr/history.asp

Lloyd Taylor

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Re: Owl medal
« Reply #2 on: September 19, 2010, 09:14:38 pm »
What a great setting for tennis!

Offline Reid Goldsborough

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Re: Owl medal
« Reply #3 on: September 19, 2010, 09:23:49 pm »
Funny. Well, I used to play tennis, before I blew out my knee.  :) So, this is a medal given out by the Athens Lawn Tennis and Squash Club (the English part of the site just calls themselves the Athens Lawn Tennis Club (ALTC). Their site mentions that they're located near the Temple of Zeus Olympios, and in looking around the Web some more just now, these ruins do appear to be what's depicted on one side of the medal. How would you translate the two legends, on the owl side and on the ruins side?

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Offline slokind

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Re: Owl medal
« Reply #4 on: September 20, 2010, 01:07:06 am »
That is katharevousa so high as to be downright arch.  Omilos does mean club.  But to insist of making a purely Greek word for tennis and it comes out in the genitive case as antisphairiseôs "of a ball in opposition", or something like that, is delicious, hilarious katharevousa.
On the obverse, they just took the inscription on all the Panathenaic amphoras of antiquity, From the Athens Games.  The date preceded by ' is at right.  I'll leave that to Nikos.

Offline Reid Goldsborough

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Re: Owl medal
« Reply #5 on: September 20, 2010, 02:24:21 am »
Fascinating. Because of what you posted I just read about katharevousa, learning it was a form of the Greek language combining elements of ancient and modern Greek and used for official purposes in the 19th and 20th centuries. It seems modern Greece when it became independent went through something similarly linguistically to what Israel did later, when it became a country, trying to honor the ancient while making the language living.

So the obverse legend on the above medal reads "Prize from Athens," used also on ancient amphora as prizes at athletic games, and the reverse legend reads "Athens Tennis Club." Do you think the owl is standing on a symbol for an amphora?

Nikos, in poking some more around the Web, the date to the right of what may be an amphora symbol seems to read 1000-900-30-9, or 1939, indicating the year this prize medal was awarded. This would conform to what I read earlier that these medals were from the 1930s. It appears that the final number in the date wasn't engraved into the die or mold but was engraved into the medal itself to allow for dating flexibility.
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Offline rover1.3

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Re: Owl medal
« Reply #6 on: September 20, 2010, 05:18:42 am »
1. Yes,the obverse must be the owl side.At least this is more logical and aesthetically pleasing to me.

2. ΟΑΑ=ΟΜΙΛΟΣ ΑΝΤΙΣΦΑΙΡΙΣΗΣ ΑΘΗΝΩΝ=ATHENS TENNIS CLUB.

3. Temple of Zeus Olympios,correct.

4. obverse legend ΤΩΝ ΑΘΗΝΗΘΕΝ ΑΘΛΩΝ="...OF THOSE WHO TOOK PART IN THE ATHLETICS IN ATHENS"
   reverse legend ΟΜΙΛΟΣ ΑΝΤΙΣΦΑΙΡΙΣΕΩΣ ΑΘΗΝΩΝ=ATHENS TENNIS CLUB

Yes,the year is 1939,is a nice medal,nice find!


Offline rover1.3

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Re: Owl medal
« Reply #7 on: September 20, 2010, 05:21:10 am »
It appears that the final number in the date wasn't engraved into the die or mold but was engraved into the medal itself to allow for dating flexibility.

I really enjoy the numismatic analysis,even for medals dating 1939!  :)
Give us diameter and weight.I estimate this to be close to 50-60mm or even bigger,right? Spread,thin flan.

Antique things like this can be found today for sale at the local Monastiraki market,in the area of Plaka,at the base of the Acropolis.
If someone is lucky enough,may find a medal from the revival of the Olympic games in 1896, the olympics of 1906 or other interesting medals,coins etc..

Lloyd Taylor

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Re: Owl medal
« Reply #8 on: September 20, 2010, 05:49:01 am »
...Do you think the owl is standing on a symbol for an amphora?

I'll hazard a guess and say its a stylized tennis ball, built from the letters of Όμιλος Αντισφαίρισης Αθηνών (Ο.Α.Α.)!

Offline Dino

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Re: Owl medal
« Reply #9 on: September 20, 2010, 06:13:17 am »
...Do you think the owl is standing on a symbol for an amphora?
I'll hazard a guess and say its a stylized tennis ball, built from the letters of Όμιλος Αντισφαίρισης Αθηνών (Ο.Α.Α.)!
I agree.  It's just the club logo made up of letters.

Offline slokind

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Re: Owl medal
« Reply #10 on: September 20, 2010, 07:29:04 am »
Athênêthen = from Athens  (a -de ending would mean 'to')
tôn...athlôn, I was taught, means "of the games", and thus expressed the words scan well.
Pat L.
P.S., yes, the felt need to create a pure language for a newly freed nation, above all avoiding Turkish words such as phraoules (strawberries) and louloudia (flowers), was the aim.  In many cases they have kept both words, using e.g. louloudia for common and generic flowers and anthê for "blossoms".  Modern demotic has settled down to common sense, accepting soutien, gantes, papoutsia, and thousands more, alongside both surviving words and katharevousa creations.  One of the most successful of the latter is en taxi, literally in order, not only taken from ancient Greek to avoid OK, but using en + the dative case, which in strict demotic is not allowed to exist.  But en taxi is so OK that Greeks alone in the world seldom say OK.  Leophoreio for omnibus was a success, but trolleÿ prevailed for the electric ones.  Can you guess for whom the Odos Satovriandou in Athens was named?

Offline rover1.3

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Re: Owl medal
« Reply #11 on: September 20, 2010, 07:59:32 am »
En taxi Pat,i admit it, "Athênêthen",means "from Athens".You are absolutely correct,thank you.
About Satovriandou,i think that Lawrenciadou is also en taxi,all good minds are always welcome  to Athens:)

Offline Reid Goldsborough

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Re: Owl medal
« Reply #12 on: September 20, 2010, 12:27:39 pm »
Give us diameter and weight.I estimate this to be close to 50-60mm or even bigger,right? Spread,thin flan.

I haven't received it yet, and the approximate weight and diameter were given in ounces and inches, but they translate to 92g and 55mm. The medal was also described as "maybe silver" -- from a seller who sells lots of coins -- and it may in fact be silver, but right now I'm assuming it's actually a heavier lead-based pewter so that if it is silver I'll be pleasantly surprised.  :)

Antique things like this can be found today for sale at the local Monastiraki market,in the area of Plaka,at the base of the Acropolis.
If someone is lucky enough,may find a medal from the revival of the Olympic games in 1896, the olympics of 1906 or other interesting medals,coins etc..

I used to hang out there, but alas the last time was in 1977... I bought among other things a couple of owl figurines roughly based on the owl on Owls. This was way before I began collecting ancient coins, but I still have these figurines and have one illustrated here, the middle piece:

http://rg.ancients.info/owls/figurines.html
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Offline Reid Goldsborough

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Re: Owl medal
« Reply #13 on: September 20, 2010, 12:28:06 pm »
...Do you think the owl is standing on a symbol for an amphora?

I'll hazard a guess and say its a stylized tennis ball, built from the letters of Όμιλος Αντισφαίρισης Αθηνών (Ο.Α.Α.)!

I think you nailed that one, impressive, and confirmed by Dino. I saw what looked like handles and guessed at an abstracted amphora symbol, but a tennis ball logo made up of the club's initials makes much more sense.
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Offline Reid Goldsborough

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Re: Owl medal
« Reply #14 on: September 20, 2010, 01:10:29 pm »
Can you guess for whom the Odos Satovriandou in Athens was named?

Elvis?

Along with the linguistics, about which you show again your remarkable expertise, also interesting to me is the history. This prize medal (I'm assuming it's a prize medal, though I suppose it could be a commemorative medal sold to attendees) was awarded in 1939. This was only a year before the start of the Greco-Italian War, when the Greeks pushed out the invading Italians, and the subsequent Battle of Greece, when Germany conquered Greece. During these times idle pastimes such as tennis imported from England would have been, I'd assume, impossible.
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Offline Dino

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Re: Owl medal
« Reply #15 on: September 20, 2010, 01:20:20 pm »
This prize medal (I'm assuming it's a prize medal, though I suppose it could be a commemorative medal sold to attendees) was awarded in 1939. This was only a year before the start of the Greco-Italian War, when the Greeks pushed out the invading Italians, and the subsequent Battle of Greece, when Germany conquered Greece. During these times idle pastimes such as tennis imported from England would have been, I'd assume, impossible.
I think that in large measure that depended on where in Greece you were at the time. 

My father was from a small village in the mountains of the Peloponessos.  There was a lot of freedom fighter activity in the area and a lot of retribution by the Germans against local villagers.  I remember my father taking me to up to the mountains to show me the remains of a small three walled stone structure that he and his mother built, where he, his mother, his sister,and his brothers hid for almost two years during WW2.  All three walls were still standing, but the flat, thatched roof had collapsed.

My mother was a from a resort town not too far from Athens.  She was born in 39, but remembers German officers giving her candy bars and has a picture of herself sitting on a German officer's horse when she was two.  Although things were by no means ideal there, it was much better for the residents thatn where my father was and I could well imagine some recreation and sporting events still occurred.

Offline rover1.3

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Re: Owl medal
« Reply #16 on: September 20, 2010, 01:55:55 pm »

Antique things like this can be found today for sale at the local Monastiraki market,in the area of Plaka,at the base of the Acropolis.
If someone is lucky enough,may find a medal from the revival of the Olympic games in 1896, the olympics of 1906 or other interesting medals,coins etc..

I used to hang out there, but alas the last time was in 1977... I bought among other things a couple of owl figurines roughly based on the owl on Owls. This was way before I began collecting ancient coins, but I still have these figurines and have one illustrated here, the middle piece:

http://rg.ancients.info/owls/figurines.html

This owl was bought from Monastiraki market. Is made of plaster and is painted.Watch the ΑΘΕ legend.
Can you imagine what this is used for?

Offline Reid Goldsborough

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Re: Owl medal
« Reply #17 on: September 20, 2010, 02:07:49 pm »
This owl was bought from Monastiraki market. Is made of plaster and is painted.Watch the ΑΘΕ legend.

That's a very nice piece. Agreed -- the placement of the legend is creative.

Can you imagine what this is used for?

Elvis sightings?
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Offline rover1.3

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Re: Owl medal
« Reply #18 on: September 20, 2010, 02:09:26 pm »
Refrigerator magnet  ;D

Offline Enodia

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Re: Owl medal
« Reply #19 on: September 20, 2010, 02:38:33 pm »
lol!

Offline slokind

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Re: Owl medal
« Reply #20 on: September 20, 2010, 09:57:00 pm »
Chateaubriand Street is one of those that go off Omonoia Square.  I think it's one of those made pedestrian for more open-air restaurant space.
But why did Papadiamantis' generation single out Chateaubriand?
Pat L.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/François-René_de_Chateaubriand

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Re: Owl medal
« Reply #21 on: September 21, 2010, 11:14:51 am »

...avoiding Turkish words such as phraoules (strawberries) and louloudia (flowers)...

I remember that my professor of Greek, Filippo Maria Pontani, a true Filellin, told me, many, many years ago, that louloudi comes from Albanian, not from Turkish.
Could you confirm this opinion, Greek friends?
Ευχαριστώ.



Offline rover1.3

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Re: Owl medal
« Reply #22 on: September 21, 2010, 01:29:01 pm »

...avoiding Turkish words such as phraoules (strawberries) and louloudia (flowers)...

I remember that my professor of Greek, Filippo Maria Pontani, a true Filellin, told me, many, many years ago, that louloudi comes from Albanian, not from Turkish.
Could you confirm this opinion, Greek friends?
Ευχαριστώ.



Probably,because of the Albanian 'lule',latin 'lilium'.But Albania and Turkey shares many common words as i know.

Offline slokind

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Re: Owl medal
« Reply #23 on: September 21, 2010, 06:47:30 pm »
Word history is very entertaining and enlightening, sometimes.  The favorite example is:
horologion (time-keeper) > horologium (latinized) > orologio (Italian, probably transmitted by Venetians) > roloï (Greek demotic,
wristwatch or any clock), continuous but circuitous.
I wonder how many of the stems shared by demotic Greek and Albanian with Turkish came to Albanian straight from Turkey and how many strayed with shepherds, etc., across from Epeiros.
For that matter, I don't know myself (I just read it in, I think, an essay by Kazantzakis, not always critical) whether the lul- stem is really Turkish or really Indo-European (which Albanian is, though that is not to say you can read it without study) or really just baby-babble like dada and mama and baba that may occur spontaneously.
Pat L.
P.S. koukla (doll or cute girl) is Turkish.  Anyone remember Kukla, Fran, and Ollie on early TV?

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Re: Owl medal
« Reply #24 on: September 21, 2010, 07:01:01 pm »
....I think you nailed that one, impressive, and confirmed by Dino. I saw what looked like handles and guessed at an abstracted amphora symbol, but a tennis ball logo made up of the club's initials makes much more sense.

On second thoughts, I  think I might have oversimplified it in my guess. The impressive part is that this involves symbolization on three levels:

1) The OAA monogram is reminiscent of the magistrate/mint control monograms that signified the issuing authority on ancient coinage.
2) The association as a stylized tennis ball bearing the club initials struck me immediately.
3) Until you mentioned the amphora handles I could not see the association with the amphora.  Now its obvious to me - a vertical amphora inside a circle. This is where it gets interesting as it symbolically parallels (at least in my mind) the new style issues of ancient Athens, where the owl stands upon a horizontal amphora often bearing magistrate monograms.  The only difference is that in the modern version the stylized amphora is oriented vertically.


So nothing is as it originally seems - great symbolization on three levels linking the present and the past, with the emphasis in interpretation depending on the observers perspective of things.  THIS IS TRULY IMPRESSIVE!

You've got to hand it to the Greeks, ancient and modern, when it comes to symbolism!

 

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