Nike : Goddess Of Victory In Ancient Greek Culture

“Since Zeus swallowed his wife when she was pregnant he allowed one of the other gods to split open his head, and out came not a son but a beautiful full-grown daughter in full armor” (Athena pag.). She was born on the river of Triton in Egypt (Athene 2000). Athena was one of Zeus’s ever trusted people that he told her where his magic shield and where the lightning bolts were. Ever since Zeus told her that she remained his constant advisor through everything (Athena pag). Athena was a very trusted person, but her battle skills are very impressive and interesting as well.

Nike NIKE (NI-KEY) is a winged goddess of victory according to Greek mythology. She is said to sit at the side of Zeus. The twentieth century Nike footwear lifts athletes to new achievements. The ‘swoosh’ resembles the winged goddess who was an inspiration to warriors since the beginning of time. Phil knight had two influential people that inspired him to create Nike.

Stephen G. Miller, the author of Ancient Greek Athletics and many other academic writings lived a very astounding life. Miller spent a great portion of his life traveling between the United States and Greece. He went to school to become an archaeologist and afterwards became a professor at Berkeley and the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. Miller was driven by Plato’s love for his work; however, he faced a minor setback when he realized Plato’s language was beyond what he could understand. He then decided to change his studies to archaeology because of his new-found love for amazing indoor and outdoor work. Miller had a unique perspective on ancient Olympic games because he directed excavations for multiple years at one of the Panhellenic sanctuary sites. He has written dozens of academic books along with children’s books, therefore I was excited to read this authors rendition of the earliest Olympic Games.

The Winged Victory (Nike) of Samothrace is a powerful statue built by the Greeks around 190 BC. She was discovered on the Island of Samothrace in the northern Aegean. This statue stands at 10.76 feet which is very tall for a woman. She stood on the bow of a ship, poised and ready for action. The sculpture procures the strength and beauty of a woman. The pose, constitution, and her make up all contribute to the works powerful statement.

Throughout ancient human history, men and women held vastly different roles. Women were often given the duty of bearing and raising children, whereas men were expected to fight, provide an income, and protect the household. Women were seen as totally inferior to men and described by Euripedes as “a curse to mankind” and “a plague worse than fire or any viper.” However, this misogynistic view of women and designated role of inferiority was not apparent in every ancient civilization. The role of the female in ancient Greek history can best be explored and contrasted between two important civilizations: The Spartans and the Athenians. The Spartan women were incredibly advanced for their time, and the Athenian women were drastically far behind. Both the Spartan and Athenian women held roles at home and lived lives far removed from the men of their societies. However, their lives were much different. While the Spartan women were strong and educated, the Athenian women held a status almost equal to slavery. The Spartan women were far more advanced than Athenians in aspects of life including education, athleticism, and independence.

Athena is fierce and brave; She is smart, somewhat ruthless, but she was praised by all. Athena took part in many wars and also fought in the Trojan War. She is “The Goddess of War”, so she is Ares counterpart. She is smart, she invents many things, like the flute, trumpet, the chariot, and much more. She is praised by many because of her “compassion and generosity.” to her followers.

Athena is the Goddess of war and craftsmanship.*footnote*Athena, the Goddess of war, was depicted holding the Goddess of victory, which one could interpret the two Goddesses together as meaning victory in war.*footnote* Also Athena was portrayed in full military attire, which can clearly be seen as another symbol of war. The Goddess Athena was very intelligent and powerful in war, and viewed war as a way to achieve peace, versus just fighting to be violent. *footnote* This very powerful statute was a beacon to greeks, that helped them to achieve victory in war and achieve peace through

A Greek would say, "When we go to battle and win, we say it is Nike." According to Greek Mythology, The Nike was the winged goddess of victory. Daughter of the titan Pallas and the river Styx, Nike sat at the side of the omnipotent Zeus for the duration of his plight with the titans. The goddess Nike came to be an everlasting symbol of victory and dominance on the battlefields of ancient Greece. In light of her conquests, a popular footwear company of the 20th century designed products in her name to push new levels of achievement in athletes worldwide. The Swoosh logo at the side of each shoe is intended to represent the wing of the Greek Goddess Nike. The vibrant spirit of this ancient goddess has bridged the gap between

Zeus was beyond pleased with their readiness and willingness to fight. Athens did not appear to have a separate cult for Nike by herself. At first, Nike was indissoluble connected and confounded with Pallas Athena, the dispenser of victory, but she gradually separated from her. Athena and Zeus can be seen carrying small figures of Nike indicating that she holds great importance to them both. Nike was assigned to be his charioteer and together the four became sentinels of Zeus’ throne. Nike fought on the side of Zeus in the famous battle against the Titans, and accommodated him in gaining victory over his menacing rivals. As a result of this heroic battle, Zeus gained control of Mount Olympus and became the supreme Olympian. During the war Nike flew around the battlefields rewarding the victors with glory and fame, symbolized by a wreath of Laurel

Even being from the same time frame in history, the Roman women from Sparta and the Greek women from Athens were completely different. Their ideas, habits, and daily activities were majorly impacted by the community they lived in. Some of the main differences between the lifestyles of these women include the rights they were given under the government, the daily and professional attire of the women, and the marital and divorce rituals of each of the women. Though they had many different things about them, they also had some similarities that connected them together. Both the Athens and Sparta have two completely different statuses for their women in the society, in many different aspects as well.

In the Iliad, a book wrote by Homer, Athena represented “the intellectual and civilized side of war and the virtues of justice and skill.”(“Athena”, Britannica) She was represented by a golden shield and helmont, a spear, a spindle and the number 7. The olive tree also represents her and her wisdom because she gave it as a gift to a city.(“Goddess symbols:Athena”, Goddess Gifts)Athena’s male counterpart(Greek Gods, “Athena”) Ares lived on Mount olympus as the god of war and representing Mars. He was seen as a warrior in art. Ares represented the bloody and gruesome parts in battle. ( “Ares” Britannica) His symbols are the spear, helmet, chariot, boar, vulture, species of owls and the flaming torch. He is represented by the color red because red is the color of war and Mars. ( “Ares” Greek Gods and

with her reputation. The Greeks placed the goddess of love in a very important position in

Hera the wife of Zeus and queen of the gods, daughter of Cronus and rhea, mother of ares and Hephaestus, her symbols are the peacock, lion, and cow.

Another mystery surrounding the Nike of Samothrace is its very origin. Historians are not sure who the Greek master is that created her, or for that matter, when she was sculpted. The quest for the answer to both of these questions provides an interesting

The Temple of Athena Nike exemplifies the early Greek belief that the gods, specifically Athena, held divine providence over government and victory in war. It was built as part of the same project as the Parthenon, one of the greatest achievements of Mycenaean Greece. Lasting from 1300-1000 B.C.E, Mycenaean Greece bordered Epirus, Macedonia, Phrace, Phryapa, Mysia, Caria, and Lydia. Encompassing this time span, Ancient Greece lasted from 8000 to 50 B.C.E. The achievements of Athens in this time include the Pythagorean Theorem and the Socratic dialogues. The epic Trojan War was said to have occurred in Mycenaean times as well. So were the Ionic Greeks who built this ancient temple. (Ancient-Greece.org)(about ancient history.com)