In Greek and Roman texts, the griffin, griffon, or gryphon was associated with deposits of gold. As Pliny the Elder wrote, "Griffins were said to lay eggs in burrows on the ground and these nests contained gold nuggets." In the middle ages the griffin became a symbol of divine power and was protected by courageous knights on horseback who would spend much of their time chasing off the pesky dragons who couldn't keep their sticky fingers off the gryphon's golden nuggets.