Welcome to Owls to Athens!

the phrase ‘Owls to Athens’ is a translation of an ancient greek idiom:

γλαῦκ’ Ἀθήναζε / εἰς Ἀθήνας

glaûk’ Athēnaze / eis Athḗnaśnaze / eis Athḗnas

It appears in The Birds by Aristophanes.

‘owls’ refers to the Athenian tetradrachm, which often featured an owl on the reverse. It was therefore meant to describes a pointless action. Bringing ‘owls’ (athenian coins) to a city famous for its abundance of them.