---
title: Nike: Greek Goddess of Victory
author: Mark Cartwright
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/nike/
format: machine-readable-alternate
license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
updated: 2025-04-18
---
# Nike: Greek Goddess of Victory
_Authored by [Mark Cartwright](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/markzcartwright/)_
The ancient [Greek](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/greek/) goddess Nike was the personification of the ideal of victory. Such personifications of ideal terms were common in ancient [Greek culture](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Greek_Culture/); other examples include Wisdom, Knowledge, and Justice. Unlike other gods in the Greek [pantheon](https://www.worldhistory.org/Pantheon/), such personifying deities were not usually given human personalities and histories. For this reason, little is said about Nike in Greek [culture](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/culture/) beyond that her mother was Styx (daughter of Ocean) and her father was Pallas, the [Titan](https://www.worldhistory.org/Titan/). She had three sisters, also personified deities: Zelus (Rivalry), Cratos (Supremacy), and Bia (Force) who, with Nike, were always seated by mighty [Zeus](https://www.worldhistory.org/zeus/) on Mt. Olympus.
The goddess was a popular figure in ancient Greek art, appearing in [sculpture](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Sculpture/), on [pottery](https://www.worldhistory.org/pottery/), and on coins. Usually fitting [Hesiod](https://www.worldhistory.org/hesiod/)'s description as 'beautiful-ankled Nike', she is depicted with wings and often carries before her a wreath of victory, which she presents either to other gods or to victorious heroes and athletes. The oldest surviving winged Nike in sculpture is from [Delos](https://www.worldhistory.org/delos/) and dates to 550 BCE and was most probably sculpted by Archermos. The statue is in the [Archaic](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Archaic/) style and strikes the typical pose of the period with bent knees and running. On Attic 5th to 4th century BCE pottery, Nike also often rides a [chariot](https://www.worldhistory.org/chariot/) or sometimes stands next to an altar or a sacrificial bull.
One of the goddess [Athena](https://www.worldhistory.org/athena/)'s most common epithets was Athena Nike and a [temple](https://www.worldhistory.org/temple/) to Athena as Victory was built on the [Acropolis](https://www.worldhistory.org/Acropolis/) of [Athens](https://www.worldhistory.org/Athens/) in the late 420's BCE. [Bronze](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/bronze/) *akroteria* (added decoration) on the corners and central ridge of the temple roof represented Nike, and the temple itself was surrounded by a balustrade decorated with a frieze which depicted figures of Nike leading bulls to sacrifice and erecting various trophies such as weapons and armour.
Nike also appeared in decorative sculpture on other buildings, both in friezes and on many temple roofs as an *akroteria* and on many coins from Thrace to Macedonia, for example, she appears on a [silver](https://www.worldhistory.org/Silver/) decadrachm of [Syracuse](https://www.worldhistory.org/syracuse/) ([Sicily](https://www.worldhistory.org/sicily/)) where she is crowning a charioteer (c. 400 BCE). Statues of Nike were also set up to commemorate military victories, a famous example being the 1.4 m tall Nike (490-480 BCE) on the acropolis dedicated to the general Kallimachos who was killed at the [battle](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/battle/) of [Marathon](https://www.worldhistory.org/marathon/) where the Greeks were victorious over the Persians.
[  Nike of Paionios Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/445/nike-of-paionios/ "Nike of Paionios")In antiquity, the most celebrated representations of Nike were as part of the great 5th century BCE statues of the deities Athena and Zeus which stood, respectively, within the [Parthenon](https://www.worldhistory.org/parthenon/) of Athens and the Temple of Zeus at [Olympia](https://www.worldhistory.org/Olympia/). These larger-than-life chryselephantine statues were made from an inner core of wood sumptuously covered in carved ivory and burnished [gold](https://www.worldhistory.org/gold/). Face, torso, legs, and arms were in carved ivory and hair and clothes were made of sheet gold. In both cases, the [god](https://www.worldhistory.org/God/) held in their right hand a statue of Nike, always closely associated with Athena, and in the case of Zeus and the [pan](https://www.worldhistory.org/Pan/)-[Hellenic](https://www.worldhistory.org/greece/) games of Olympia, significant in her role as bestower of prizes. The statue of Zeus was considered one of [the Seven Wonders](https://www.worldhistory.org/The_Seven_Wonders/) of the Ancient World, and the father of the gods is shown seated on a massive, richly decorated throne with more figures of Nike on its legs. Neither statue survives but descriptions by [Pausanias](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Pausanias/), smaller [Roman](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Roman/) copies, and [coin](https://www.worldhistory.org/coinage/) designs help give us a glimpse of the magnificence that we have lost.
A third representation which must have struck a certain degree of awe into the ancients was the statue of Nike by Paionios, which stood on a nine metre tall triangular pedestal just outside the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. Dedicated to the sanctuary by the Messenians and Naupaktians following their victory over the Spartans at Sphakteria in 424 BCE, the Nike itself was three metres tall and would have dominated all of the other dedications at the site. The statue is sculpted in the rich style popular in the late 5th century BCE, and with a *chiton* that is at once billowing and clinging and with wings widespread, the impression is that the goddess has just that moment softly alighted onto the pedestal.
#### Editorial Review
This human-authored definition has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/).
## Bibliography
- Boardman, J. *Greek Sculpture: The Archaic Period.* Thames & Hudson, London, 2007
- Boardman, J. *Greek Sculpture: The Classical Period.* Thames & Hudson, London, 2005
- Carabatea, M. *Greek Mythology.* Pergamos, Peania, 2007
- [Carpenter, T.H. *Art and Myth in Ancient Greece.* Thames & Hudson, 1991.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0500202362/)
- [Hesiod. *Hesiod.* Loeb Classical Library, 2007.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0674996224/)
- Hope Moncrieff, A.R. *Classical Mythology.* Senate, London, 1994
- Kaltsas, N. *Olympia.* MOCARF, Athens, 2009
## About the Author
Mark is WHE’s Publishing Director and has an MA in Political Philosophy (University of York). He is a full-time researcher, writer, historian and editor. Special interests include art, architecture and discovering the ideas that all civilizations share.
## Timeline
- **c. 550 BCE**: Oldest surviving [sculpture](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Sculpture/) of a winged [Nike](https://www.worldhistory.org/nike/) found on [Delos](https://www.worldhistory.org/delos/).
- **490 BCE - 480 BCE**: A 1.4 m (4 ft 7 in) tall [Iris](https://www.worldhistory.org/Iris/) or [Nike](https://www.worldhistory.org/nike/) [sculpture](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Sculpture/) is erected on the [Acropolis](https://www.worldhistory.org/Acropolis/) of [Athens](https://www.worldhistory.org/Athens/) in memory of the general Kallimachos, killed in the [Battle](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/battle/) of [Marathon](https://www.worldhistory.org/marathon/).
- **438 BCE**: The cult statue of [Athena](https://www.worldhistory.org/athena/) Parthenos is dedicated in the [Parthenon](https://www.worldhistory.org/parthenon/) of [Athens](https://www.worldhistory.org/Athens/).
- **c. 430 BCE**: The cult statue of [Zeus](https://www.worldhistory.org/zeus/) by [Phidias](https://www.worldhistory.org/Phidias/) is dedicated in the [Temple](https://www.worldhistory.org/temple/) of Zeus, [Olympia](https://www.worldhistory.org/Olympia/). It is one of [the Seven Wonders](https://www.worldhistory.org/The_Seven_Wonders/) of the Ancient World.
- **c. 425 BCE - c. 420 BCE**: The [Temple](https://www.worldhistory.org/temple/) dedicated to [Athena](https://www.worldhistory.org/athena/) [Nike](https://www.worldhistory.org/nike/) is constructed on the [acropolis](https://www.worldhistory.org/Acropolis/) of [Athens](https://www.worldhistory.org/Athens/).
- **424 BCE - 420 BCE**: The [Nike](https://www.worldhistory.org/nike/) of Paionios is erected at [Olympia](https://www.worldhistory.org/Olympia/) to commemorate the Messenian and Naupaktian victory over [Sparta](https://www.worldhistory.org/sparta/) at the [battle](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/battle/) of Sphakteria.
- **c. 190 BCE**: The [Nike](https://www.worldhistory.org/nike/) of [Samothrace](https://www.worldhistory.org/Samothrace/) is dedicated on the island to commemorate a naval victory.
## Cite This Work
### APA
Cartwright, M. (2012, September 30). Nike: Greek Goddess of Victory. *World History Encyclopedia*.
### Chicago
Cartwright, Mark. "Nike: Greek Goddess of Victory." *World History Encyclopedia*, September 30, 2012. .
### MLA
Cartwright, Mark. "Nike: Greek Goddess of Victory." *World History Encyclopedia*, 30 Sep 2012, .
## License & Copyright
Submitted by [Mark Cartwright](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/markzcartwright/ "User Page: Mark Cartwright"), published on 30 September 2012. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.