Greek and Roman Protective Signs
25 symbols · PDF / PNG / SVG · Commercial licence included
About this collection & deliveryIncluded symbols
25 symbols
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Gorgoneion Roof Antefix
A terrifying Gorgon face once fixed to the edge of an Archaic Greek roof, confronting approaching harm with staring eyes, bared teeth, and a protruding tongue.
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Herakles Knot Ornament
An interlaced Hellenistic jewellery motif associated in antiquity with the power to cure wounds and protect the wearer.
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Hekataion Crossroads Figure
A triple-bodied figure of Hekate associated with pathways and crossroads, expressing guardianship at places of passage and uncertain direction.
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Attic Eye-Cup Device
The bold paired eyes of an Archaic Attic drinking cup, often read as an apotropaic gaze but still open to debate.
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Herm Boundary Marker
A pillar bearing the head of Hermes, set at roads, gates, and boundaries to mark space and invoke protection for travellers and communities.
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Roman Bulla Pendant
A rounded Roman pendant worn especially by children as a personal safeguard against the evil eye.
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Crescent Lunula Amulet
A crescent-shaped amulet from Roman-period Egypt associated with divine lunar protection.
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Phallic Pendant
A deliberately provocative Roman amulet that used phallic and genital imagery to repel the evil eye.
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Mano Fica Hand
A clenched hand with the thumb thrust between two fingers, used in Roman amulets as a provocative defence against the evil eye.
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Winged Phallus Tintinnabulum
A fantastical Roman hanging charm combining a winged phallus with bells to protect a household and attract good fortune.
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Evil Eye Attack Charm
A Roman terracotta charm in which two phallus-headed figures attack the evil eye with a saw, turning protection into a vivid counter-assault.
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Lar Familiaris Figure
A youthful Roman household guardian whose presence in the lararium invoked protection, health, and prosperity for the family.
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Lararium Guardian Serpent
A serpent approaching the household altar, drawn from Pompeian lararium paintings where paired snakes accompanied domestic ritual and good fortune.
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Cave Canem Threshold Mosaic
A chained dog at a Pompeian doorway accompanied by CAVE CANEM—“Beware of the dog”—as a direct warning at the household threshold.
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Priapus Garden Guardian
An explicitly phallic figure of Priapus, placed in the Greco-Roman imagination as a guardian of gardens, vines, bees, and flocks.
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Hercules Club Pendant
A fourth-century Romano-British gold club pendant that invokes Hercules through his defining weapon, while leaving its wearer’s intended benefit uncertain.
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Isiac Sistrum
A Roman bronze sistrum used in Isiac worship, whose jingling ritual sound was understood to ward off evil.
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Chnoubis Gem
A Roman-period gem of the lion-headed serpent Chnoubis, a protective figure whose gem type was especially associated with digestive healing.
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Abrasax Gem
A Roman magical gem showing Abrasax with rooster head, human torso, serpent legs, shield, and whip—a composite image used for protection.
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Protective Prayer Amulet
A Roman-period agate amulet whose protection was carried in an inscribed prayer rather than a single pictorial emblem.
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Greek-Letter Incantation Gem
A Roman onyx amulet densely inscribed on both sides with an incantation in Greek letters, preserving protective words whose precise force is not stated in the museum record.
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Safe Childbirth Lamella
A Roman gold lamella inscribed in Greek for Fabia, daughter of Terentia, as a personalized charm intended to help her give birth safely.
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Crab BARCHA Gem
A Roman yellow-jasper magical gem combining a crab, a BARCHA word variant, and the seven Greek vowels, while leaving its precise intended benefit unresolved.
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Sulphur Capsule Amulet
A fourth-century Romano-British gold capsule from the Thetford Treasure, sealed around sulphur whose intended protective or medicinal action remains unknown.
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Winged Thunderbolt Pendant
A Roman gold pendant combining a winged thunderbolt with suspended Medusa masks, catalogued as probably amuletic but without a recorded personal purpose.
About this collection
Greek Roman Protective Signs C 600 Bce 400 Ce gathers 25 symbols shaped around 25 distinct protective and apotropaic forms tied to named Greek, Hellenistic, Roman Republican, Roman Imperial, or Late Roman objects and contexts from c. 600 BCE to 400 CE, with each mark chosen for clarity, historical resonance, and a strong editorial silhouette.
Files & delivery
Includes a one-click collection pack plus access from every included symbol page.
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