On 6 March 1973, in a cartoon published in TO VIMA with the caption "Contemporary Greek problems", Mama Greece was shown pondering the only thing that seemed  to matter at the time in a country that was ruled by a military dictatorship:  Football.

The owl, ancient symbol of wisdom and the goddess Athena, seemed to be an appropriate companion to Mama Greece.  Since this was a time when Democracy in Greece had been abolished she was made with the eyes closed, sleeping.

This was the birth of Sofia (Wisdom), the Sleeping Owl. Since then she appears in all of my editorial cartoons of Greek interest.