AMERICAN FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.

(an Ohio corporation)

Senior Debentures

PURCHASE AGREEMENT

Dated January 28, 2004

AMERICAN FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.

(an Ohio corporation)

$100,000,000

Senior Debentures

January 28, 2004

MERRILL LYNCH & CO.

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith

            Incorporated

    as Representative of the several Underwriters

c/o Merrill Lynch & Co.

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith

            Incorporated

4 World Financial Center

New York, New York 10080

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     American Financial Group, Inc., an Ohio corporation (the "Company"), confirms its agreement with Merrill Lynch & Co., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated ("Merrill Lynch") and each of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (collectively, the "Underwriters", which term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 10 hereof), for whom Merrill Lynch is acting as representative (in such capacity, the "Representative"), with respect to the issue and sale by the Company and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the respective principal amounts set forth in said Schedule A of $100,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company's [___]% Senior Debentures due 2034 (the "Debentures"), and with respect to the grant by the Company to the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the option desc ribed in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any part of the $15,000,000 principal amount of Debentures to cover overallotments, if any. The aforesaid $100,000,000 principal amount of Debentures (the "Initial Securities") to be purchased by the Underwriters and all or any part of the $15,000,000 principal amount of Debentures subject to the option described in Section 2(b) hereof (the "Option Securities") are hereinafter called, collectively the "Securities." The Securities are to be issued pursuant to an indenture dated as of November 12, 1987 (the "Original Indenture"), as supplemented by a supplemental indenture dated as of December 3, 1997 (the "First Supplemental Indenture"), as further supplemented by a second supplemental indenture to be dated as of February 3, 2004 (the "Second Supplemental Indenture" together with the Original Indenture and the First Supplemental Indenture, the "Indenture") among the Company, as issuer, and U.S. Bank, N.A., as trustee (the "Trustee"). The term "Indenture," as used herein, includes the Board Resolution (as defined in the Indenture) establishing the form and terms of the Securities pursuant to Sections 2.1 and 3.1 of the Indenture.

      The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Securities as soon as the Representative deems advisable after this Agreement has been executed and delivered and the Indenture has been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the "1939 Act").

     The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") a registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-106657), including the related preliminary prospectus or prospectuses, covering the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"). Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a prospectus in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (b) of Rule 424 ("Rule 424(b)") of the 1933 Act Regulations. Each prospectus used before such registration statement became effective, and any prospectus that was used after such effectiveness and prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, as supplemented by any preliminary prospectus supplement, is herein called a "preliminary prospectus." Such registration statement, including the exhibits and any schedules thereto, at the time it became effective, and including the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act at such time is herein called the "Registration Statement." The final prospectus, as supplemented by any prospectus supplement, in the form first furnished to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Securities, including the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act at the time of the execution of this Agreement, is herein called the "Prospectus." For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, any prospectus supplement, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system ("EDGAR").

     All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is "contained," "included," "stated" or "given" in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "1934 Act") which is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be.

1. against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
2. against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 6(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company;
3. against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by Merrill Lynch), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;

provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through Merrill Lynch expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto).

1. Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers. Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with wr itten information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through Merrill Lynch expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto).
2. Actions against Parties; Notification. Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by Merrill Lynch, and, in the case of parties indemnifie d pursuant to Section 6(b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromi se or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.
3. Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse. If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 6(a)(ii) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordanc e with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

1. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 6 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the of fering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.

The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Securities as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus.

The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act and each Underwriter's Affiliates and selling agents shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company. The Underwriters' respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the principal amount of Initial Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule A hereto and not joint.

2. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or its Affiliates or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company, and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Securities.
3. Termination of Agreement.

1. Termination; General. The Representative may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to Closing Time (i) if there has been, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto), any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representative, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, or (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or the New York Stock Exchange, or if trading generally on the American Stock Exchange or the New York Stock Exchange or in the Nasdaq National Market has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by such system or by order of the Commission, the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. or any other governmental authority or (iv) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States, or (v) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal, Ohio, Delaware or New York authorities.
2. Liabilities. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, and provided further that Sections 1, 6, 7 and 8 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.
4. Default by One or More of the Underwriters. If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at Closing Time or a Date of Delivery to purchase the Securities which it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the "Defaulted Securities"), the Representative shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the Representative shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:

1. if the number of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the Securities to be purchased hereunder, each of the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or
2. if the number of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the Securities to be purchased hereunder, this Agreement or, with respect to any Date of Delivery which occurs after the Closing Time, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and of the Company to sell the Option Securities to be purchased and sold on such Date of Delivery shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter

No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.

In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this Agreement or, in the case of a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, which does not result in a termination of the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and the Company to sell the relevant Option Securities, as the case may be, either the Representative or the Company shall have the right to postpone Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements. As used herein, the term "Underwriter" includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 10.

1. Tax Disclosure. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, immediately upon commencement of discussions with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby, the Company (and each employee, representative or other agent of the Company) may disclose to any and all persons, without limitation of any kind, the tax treatment and tax structure of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and all materials of any kind (including opinions or other tax analyses) that are provided to the Company relating to such tax treatment and tax structure. For purposes of the foregoing, the term "tax treatment" is the purported or claimed federal income tax treatment of the transactions contemplated hereby, and the term "tax structure" includes any fact that may be relevant to understanding the purported or claimed federal income tax treatment of the transactions contemplated hereby.
2. Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to the Representative at 4 World Financial Center, New York, New York 10080, attention of Sabina Cheddia; and notices to the Company shall be directed to it at One East Fourth Street, Suite 919, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202, attention of James C. Kennedy, Esq., Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Secretary of American Financial Group, Inc.
3. Parties. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors, and s aid controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.
4. GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
5. TIME. TIME SHALL BE OF THE ESSENCE OF THIS AGREEMENT. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.
6. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement.
7. Effect of Headings. The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement between the Underwriters and the Company in accordance with its terms.

CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,

as of the date first above written:

MERRILL LYNCH & CO.

MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH

By: MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH

INCORPORATED

By                                                                         

For themselves and as Representative of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto.

SCHEDULE A

SCHEDULE B

AMERICAN FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.

$100,000,000 Senior Debentures due 2034

1. The initial public offering price of the Securities shall be 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued interest, if any, from the date of issuance.
2. The purchase price to be paid by the Underwriters for the Securities shall be [__] % of the principal amount thereof.
3. The interest rate on the Securities shall be[__] % per annum.

4. On or after February [__], 2009 the Company may redeem the Securities, at 100% of their principal amount, plus accrued interest to the date of redemption.

SCHEDULE C

List of Subsidiaries

Exhibit A

FORM OF OPINION OF COMPANY COUNSEL
TO BE DELIVERED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 5(b)

1. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Ohio.
2. The Company has power and authority (corporate and other) to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement; and the Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing (or the local law equivalent) in all other jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of business, requires such qualification except where the failure to so qualify will not, individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect.
3. The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the financial statements, including the schedules and notes thereto, included in the Registration Statement and Prospectus. The shares of issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.
4. Each "significant subsidiary" of the Company (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X) (each a "Subsidiary" and, collectively, the "Subsidiaries") has been duly incorporated and is an existing corporation in good standing (or local law equivalent) under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in good standing (or the local law equivalent) in all other jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification except where the failure to so qualify will not have a Material Adverse Effect; except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each such Subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assess able and is owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free from liens, encumbrances and defects; None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any Subsidiary was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of such Subsidiary.
5. The Purchase Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
6. The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and duly qualified under the 1939 Act and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the Trustee, constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors' rights generally and except as enforcement thereof is subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
7. The Securities have been duly authorized and, at Closing Time, will have been duly executed by the Company and, when authenticated, issued and delivered in the manner provided for in the Indenture and delivered against payment of the purchase price therefor as provided in this Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors' rights generally and except as enforcement thereof is subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), and will be in the form contemplated by, and entitled to the benefits of, the Indenture.
8. The Securities and the Indenture conform as to legal matters in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Prospectus.
9. The Registration Statement has been declared effective under the 1933 Act; any required filing of the Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) has been made in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b); and, to the best of our knowledge, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under the 1933 Act and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or threatened by the Commission.
10. The Registration Statement, the Prospectus, excluding the documents incorporated by reference therein, and each amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement and Prospectus, excluding the documents incorporated by reference therein, as of their respective effective or issue dates (other than the financial statements and supporting schedules and notes included therein or omitted therefrom, and the Trustee's Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 (the "Form T-1"), as to which we need express no opinion) complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations.
11. The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus (other than the financial statements and supporting schedules and notes included therein or omitted therefrom, as to which we need express no opinion), when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
12. To the best of our knowledge, there is not pending or threatened any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party, or to which the property of either of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, which would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which would reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the properties or assets thereof or the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Purchase Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations thereunder.
13. The information in the Prospectus under "Description of Debt Securities", and "Description of Debentures" and in the Registration Statement under Item 15, to the extent that it constitutes matters of law, summaries of legal matters, the Company's charter and bylaws or legal proceedings, or legal conclusions, has been reviewed by us and is correct in all material respects.
14. All descriptions in the Registration Statement of contracts and other documents to which the Company or its subsidiaries are a party are accurate in all material respects; to the best of our knowledge, there are no franchises, contracts, indentures, mortgages, loan agreements, notes, leases or other instruments required to be described or referred to in the Registration Statement or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement other than those described or referred to therein or filed or incorporated by reference as exhibits thereto.
15. No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency, domestic or foreign (other than under the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations, which have been obtained, or as may be required under the securities or blue sky laws of the various states as to which we need express no opinion) is necessary or required in connection with the due authorization, execution and delivery of the Purchase Agreement or the due execution, delivery or performance of the Indenture by the Company or for the offering, issuance, sale or delivery of the Securities.
16. The execution, delivery and performance of the Purchase Agreement, the Indenture and the Securities and any other agreement or instrument entered into or issued or to be entered into or issued by the Company in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and in the Registration Statement (including the issuance and sale of the Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described in the Prospectus under the caption "Use of Proceeds") and compliance by the Company with its obligations under the Purchase Agreement, the Indenture and the Securities and such other agreements or instruments do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or lapse of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined in Section 1(a)(xiv) of the Purchase Agreement) under or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or any other agreement or instrument, known to us, to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject (except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Repayment Events or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not have a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree, known to us, of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of its respective properties, assets or operations.
1. The Company is not required, and upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Prospectus will not be required, to register as an "investment company" under the 1940 Act.
2. To the knowledge of such counsel (after reasonable investigation), each Insurance Subsidiary holds such insurance licenses, certificates and permits from governmental authorities (including, without limitation, Insurance Licenses) as are necessary to the conduct of its business as described in the Prospectus; to the knowledge of such counsel, there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or investigation that could reasonably be expected to result in the revocation, termination or suspension of any Insurance License which would have a Material Adverse Effect; and except as disclosed in the Prospectus, to the knowledge of such counsel, no insurance regulatory agency or body has issued, or commenced any proceeding for the issuance of, any order or decree impairing, restricting or prohibiting the payment of dividends by any Insurance Subsidiary to its parent.
3. To the knowledge of such counsel, all reinsurance treaties and arrangements to which any Insurance Subsidiary is a party are in full force and effect and such counsel is not aware of any violation of, or default in the performance, observance or fulfillment of, any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained therein by any Insurance Subsidiary.

Nothing has come to our attention that would lead us to believe that the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto, (except for financial statements and schedules and other financial data included or incorporated by reference therein or omitted therefrom and the Form T-1, as to which we need make no statement), at the time such Registration Statement or any such amendment became effective, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or that the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (except for financial statements and schedules and notes thereto and other financial data included or incorporated by reference therein or omitted therefrom and the Form T-1, as to which we need make no statement), at the time the Prospectus was issued, at the time any such amended or supplemented prospectus was issued or at the Closing Time, included or includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely as to matters of fact (but not as to legal conclusions), to the extent they deem proper, on certificates of responsible officers of the Company and public officials. Such opinion shall not state that it is to be governed or qualified by, or that it is otherwise subject to, any treatise, written policy or other document relating to legal opinions, including, without limitation, the Legal Opinion Accord of the ABA Section of Business Law (1991).

Direct Dial: (513) 579-6599

Facsimile: (513) 579-6457

E-Mail: mweiss@kmklaw.com

January 30, 2004

American Financial Group, Inc.

One East Fourth Street

Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

Ladies and Gentlemen:

          We have acted as counsel to American Financial Group, Inc., an Ohio corporation ("AFG"), and American Financial Capital Trust II, American Financial Capital Trust III, and American Financial Capital Trust IV, each a statutory trust organized under the laws of the State of Delaware, of Registration Statement No. 333-106657 on Form S-3 (the "Registration Statement") with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including a preliminary prospectus (the "Base Prospectus") relating to the public offering of up to $600,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of various securities, including senior debt securities issued by AFG ("Senior Debt Securities"). This opinion relates to the issuance of a series of Senior Debt Securities to be known as the "7-1/8% Senior Debentures due 2034" (the "Debentures").

          In reaching the conclusions expressed herein, we have examined and relied upon the original or copies, certified to our satisfaction, of (i) the form of Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and the Code of Regulations of AFG; (ii) copies of resolutions of the Board of Directors of AFG, or committees thereof, authorizing the issuance of the Debentures and related matters; (iii) the Registration Statement and all exhibits thereto, including the Form T-1, Statement of Eligibility of Trustee of U.S. Bank National Association; (iv) the Indenture dated as of November 12, 1997 (the "Original Indenture") as supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture dated as of December 3, 1997 (the "First Supplemental Indenture") as proposed to be further supplemented by a Second Supplemental Indenture to be dated as of February 3, 2004 (the "Second Supplemental Indenture," and with the Original Indenture and First Supplemental Indenture, the "Indenture"); and (iv) such other documents and instruments as we have deemed necessary for the expression of opinion herein contained. In making the foregoing examinations, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures and the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, and the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies. As to various questions of fact material to this opinion, we have relied, to the extent we deem reasonably appropriate, upon representations or certificates of officers or directors of AFG and upon documents, records and instruments furnished to us by AFG, without independent check or verification of their accuracy.

          Based upon and subject to the foregoing, we are of the opinion that upon the execution and delivery of the Second Supplemental Indenture, when the Debentures have been duly executed and authenticated in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and paid for in accordance with the terms of the Purchase Agreement dated as of January 28, 2004, between AFG and the underwriters named therein, the Debentures will be valid and binding obligations of AFG.

          We hereby consent to be named in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus part thereof as the attorneys who have passed upon legal matters in connection with the issuance of the Debentures and to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder.

                                                                                Sincerely yours,

                                                                                KEATING,  MUETHING & KLEKAMP, P.L.L.


                                                                                By:  Mark A. Weiss                                        

                                                                                        Mark A. Weiss