Why does the Romans use griffins as simbols?

Answer 1

The Romans used griffins as symbols because the adopted the mythology of the griffin from the Greek mythology.


Some ancient writers said that the Griffin was a creature from India. The myth probably originated from the Achaemenid Persian Empire where it was a protector from evil and witchcraft. The griffin had the body and back legs of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. The front legs were the claws of an eagle. Since the lion was the king of beasts and the eagle was the king of birds, the griffin was the king of creatures. It was powerful and majestic, a heroic symbol. It had speed, strength and courage of a lion and the sharp sight of an eagle. It was a symbol of divine power and a guardian of the divine. It found gold on mountains and built a nest on it. It was a fierce guardian of its nest and devoured men and their horses. Griffins often guarded treasures. In Assyria both the griffin and the dragons were symbols of wisdom. There have been Egyptians and Scythian archaeological finds.

In Roman art, griffins are often pulling the chariot of Nemesis (goddess of justice and revenge).