UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C.  20549

                                    FORM 13F

                              FORM 13F COVER PAGE


                  Report for the Quarter Ended September 30, 2003



                          AMERICAN FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
                 One East Fourth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
     -------------------------------------------------------------------------
     (Name and Address of Institutional Investment Manager Filing this Report)


                         Form 13F File Number:  28-4389


The institutional investment manager filing this report and the person by whom
it is signed hereby represent that the person signing the report is authorized
to submit it, that all information contained herein is true, correct and
complete, and that it is understood that all required items, statements,
schedules, lists, and tables, are considered integral parts of this form.

                                 Fred J. Runk
                     Senior Vice President and Treasurer
                                (513) 579-2489
                -----------------------------------------------
                (Name, Title and Phone Number of Person Signing
                 this Report on Behalf of Reporting Manager)



Signature:

Fred J. Runk                            Cincinnati, Ohio      November 13, 2003
- ----------------------------------
Fred J. Runk
Senior Vice President and Treasurer


Report Type:
     [X]  13F HOLDINGS REPORT.
     [ ]  13F NOTICE.
     [ ]  13F COMBINATION REPORT.








                                 Page 1 of 4

FORM 13F SUMMARY PAGE --------------------- Number of Other Included Managers: 4 ----------- Form 13F Information Table Entry Total: 78 ----------- Form 13F Information Table Value Total (thousands): $ 1,087,170 ----------- Name and 13F file numbers of all Institutional Investment Managers with respect to which this schedule is filed (other than American Financial Group, Inc.): Number 13F File Number Name of Subsidiary ------ --------------- ------------------------------------ 1. 28-5042 AFC Holding Company 2. 28-497 American Financial Corporation 3. 28-498 Great American Insurance Company 4. 28-2414 American Premier Underwriters, Inc. Page 2

FORM 13F INFORMATION TABLE Column 4: Column 5: Column 8: Column 2: Market Shares or Column 6: Column 7: Voting Authority Column 1: Title of Column 3: Value Principal Investment Other --------------------------- Name of Issuer Class CUSIP (000's) Amount Discretion Managers Sole Shared None -------------- ---------------- ----------- --------- ------------ ---------- -------- ---------- ------ --------- HOLDINGS OF GREAT AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANY - -------------------------------------------- AOL TIME WARNER INC COM 00184A 10 5 395 26,149SH Defined 1,2,3 26,149 AMERICAN ELEC PWR INC COM 025537 10 1 3,390 113,000SH Defined " 113,000 BANK OF AMERICA CORP COM 060505 10 4 7,351 94,200SH Defined " 94,200 CABLEVISION SYS CORP CL A NY CABLVS 12686C 10 9 498 27,500SH Defined " 27,500 CHIQUITA BRANDS INTL INC *W EXP 3/19/2009 170032 11 4 5,820 1,240,933SH Defined " 1,240,933 COMCAST CORP NEW CL A 20030N 10 1 621 20,153SH Defined " 20,153 COMCAST CORP NEW CL A SPL 20030N 20 0 1,037 35,000SH Defined " 35,000 CONAGRA FOODS INC COM 205887 10 2 1,740 81,900SH Defined " 81,900 DOMINION RES INC VA NEW COM 25746U 10 9 3,900 63,000SH Defined " 63,000 DPL INC COM 233293 10 9 8,791 512,600SH Defined " 512,600 ENERGY EAST CORP COM 29266M 10 9 1,801 80,300SH Defined " 80,300 FIRSTENERGY CORP COM 337932 10 7 2,871 90,000SH Defined " 90,000 GREAT AMERN FINL RES INC COM 389915 10 9 558,436 38,565,995SH Defined " 38,565,995 KEYCORP NEW COM 493267 10 8 225 8,800SH Defined " 8,800 KROGER CO COM 501044 10 1 134 7,500SH Defined " 7,500 MARSH SUPERMARKETS INC CL B 571783 20 8 2,113 189,543SH Defined " 189,543 MARSH SUPERMARKETS INC CL A 571783 30 7 7,808 709,844SH Defined " 709,844 NATIONAL CITY CORP COM 635405 10 3 5,597 190,000SH Defined " 190,000 NISOURCE INC COM 65473P 10 5 2,697 135,000SH Defined " 135,000 PNC FINL SVCS GROUP INC COM 693475 10 5 3,045 64,000SH Defined " 64,000 PEPCO HOLDINGS INC COM 713291 10 2 1,564 90,500SH Defined " 90,500 PROGRESS ENERGY INC COM 743263 10 5 7,558 170,000SH Defined " 170,000 PROVIDENT FINL GROUP INC COM 743866 10 5 155,856 5,572,271SH Defined " 5,572,271 QWEST COMMUNICATIONS INTL INC COM 749121 10 9 61 17,902SH Defined " 17,902 RCN CORP COM 749361 10 1 39 21,000SH Defined " 21,000 SBC COMMUNICATIONS INC COM 78387G 10 3 1,335 60,000SH Defined " 60,000 SAFEWAY INC COM NEW 786514 20 8 1,172 51,100SH Defined " 51,100 SARA LEE CORP COM 803111 10 3 918 50,000SH Defined " 50,000 SEABULK INTL INC COM 81169P 10 1 529 72,499SH Defined " 72,499 SEPRACOR INC COM 817315 10 4 2,850 103,200SH Defined " 103,200 TENET HEALTHCARE CORP COM 88033G 10 0 1,303 90,000SH Defined " 90,000 TYCO INTL LTD NEW COM 902124 10 6 2,758 135,000SH Defined " 135,000 UNITED AUTO GROUP INC COM 909440 10 9 522 22,700SH Defined " 22,700 WALTER INDS INC COM 93317Q 10 5 1,273 118,600SH Defined " 118,600 WASHINGTON MUT INC COM 939322 10 3 793 20,134SH Defined " 20,134 WILTEL COMMUNICATNS GROUP IN COM 972487 10 2 2,238 139,465SH Defined " 139,465 HOLDINGS OF AMERICAN PREMIER UNDERWRITERS, INC. - ----------------------------------------------- INFINITY PPTY & CAS CORP COM 45665Q 10 3 220,677 7,850,465SH Defined 1,2,4 7,850,465

HOLDINGS OF OTHER ENTITIES EACH HAVING LESS THAN $100 MILLION IN 13F SECURITIES - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AMERICAN ELEC PWR INC COM 025537 10 1 600 20,000SH Other 20,000 BANK OF AMERICA CORP COM 060505 10 4 2 24SH Defined 1,2 24 BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB CO COM 110122 10 8 257 10,000SH Defined 1,2,3 10,000 BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB CO COM 110122 10 8 257 10,000SH Other 10,000 CABLEVISION SYS CORP CL A NY CABLVS 12686C 10 9 4,874 269,300SH Defined 1,2,3 269,300 cABLEVISION SYS CORP CL A NY CABLVS 12686C 10 9 54 2,977SH Other 2,977 COMCAST CORP NEW CL A 20030N 10 1 456 14,800SH Other 14,800 COMCAST CORP NEW CL A SPL 20030N 20 0 408 13,760SH Other 13,760 CONAGRA FOODS INC COM 205887 10 2 2,549 120,000SH Defined 1,2,3 120,000 DPL INC COM 233293 10 9 1,544 90,000SH Defined " 90,000 DPL INC COM 233293 10 9 172 10,000SH Other 10,000 DOMINION RES INC VA NEW COM 25746U 10 9 1,548 25,000SH Defined 1,2,3 25,000 ENERGY EAST CORP COM 29266M 10 9 1,795 80,000SH Defined " 80,000 FIRSTENERGY CORP COM 337932 10 7 2,552 80,000SH Defined 1,2,3,4 80,000 JOHN HANCOCK BK &THRIFT OPP SH BEN INT 409735 10 7 603 67,200SH Other 67,200 HOST MARRIOTT CORP NEW COM 44107P 10 4 108 10,110SH Other 10,110 KROGER CO COM 501044 10 1 45 2,500SH Defined 1,2,3 2,500 LEUCADIA NATL CORP COM 527288 10 4 997 26,352SH Defined 1,2 26,352 MARSH SUPERMARKETS INC CL B 571783 20 8 4,606 413,101SH Other 413,101 METLIFE INC COM 59156R 10 8 1,378 49,115SH Sole 49,115 NATIONAL CITY CORP COM 635405 10 3 1,220 41,400SH Defined 1,2,3 41,400 NISOURCE INC COM 65473P 10 5 599 30,000SH Defined " 30,000 NISOURCE INC COM 65473P 10 5 400 20,000SH OTHER 20,000 PEPCO HOLDINGS INC COM 713291 10 2 346 20,000SH Defined 1,2,3 20,000 POPULAR INC COM 733174 10 6 7,535 189,320SH Defined " 189,320 PROVIDENT FINL GROUP INC COM 743866 10 5 13,977 499,704SH Defined " 499,704 PROVIDENT FINL GROUP INC COM 743866 10 5 5,517 197,239SH Other 197,239 RCN CORP COM 749361 10 1 36 20,000SH Defined 1,2,3 20,000 RCN CORP COM 749361 10 1 92 50,250SH Other 50,250 SBC COMMUNICATIONS INC COM 78387G 10 3 445 20,000SH Defined 1,2,3 20,000 SANTANDER BANCORP COM 802809 10 3 568 30,250SH Defined " 30,250 SEABULK INTL INC COM 81169P 10 1 1,772 243,111SH Defined " 243,111 SEABULK INTL INC COM 81169P 10 1 714 98,000SH Other 98,000 SEPRACOR INC COM 817315 10 4 221 8,000SH Defined 1,2,3 8,000 TENET HEALTHCARE CORP COM 88033G 10 0 2,197 151,700SH Defined " 151,700 US BANCORP DEL COM NEW 902973 30 4 683 28,462SH Other 28,462 UNITED AUTO GROUP INC COM 909440 10 9 239 10,400SH Defined 1,2,3 10,400 WALTER INDS INC COM 93317Q 10 5 1,372 127,900SH Defined " 127,900 WASHINGTON MUT INC COM 939322 10 3 1,778 45,179SH Defined " 45,179 WILTEL COMMUNICATNS GROUP IN COM 972487 10 2 187 11,636SH Defined " 11,636 ZENITH NATL INS CORP COM 989390 10 9 2,751 98,900SH Other 98,900 ---------- REPORT TOTAL $1,087,170 ==========