Olive branch
![An olive branch](/Images/godic/202501/12/Olive_branch3412.jpg")
![Owl standing on amphora, all surrounded by a wreath of olive leaves. Greek silver tetradrachm from Athens, ca. 200-150 BCE.](/Images/godic/202501/12/Silver_tetradrachm_Athens_new_style_reverse3412.jpg")
![A dove with an olive branch, Catacombs of Domitilla, Rome](/Images/godic/202501/12/Rom,_Domitilla-Katakomben,_Steintafel_mit_Taube_und_Ölzweig3412.jpg")
![The 1885 obverse design of the Great Seal of the United States](/Images/godic/202501/12/USGreatSealGrahamLithograph3412.jpg")
The olive branch is usually a symbol of peace or victory and was historically worn by brides and virgins. This symbol, deriving from the customs of Ancient Greece, is strongest in Western culture. However, it has been found in every culture and religion to thrive in the Mediterranean basin.