According to Laughy, ancestral practice played a key role in how Athenian cultic rituals and sacrifices were performed. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. According to Michael Laughy, the priesthood was traditionally controlled by a genos or family clan who selected the next priestess from one of their heirs. In 'The Swoosh Story' we chart the history of the world's most recognizable brand: Nike Inc. Nik, Victory goddess Author: frans16611 CC By 2.0. - Mythology, Overview, AP World History - Hellenism and Athenian Philosophy: Help and Review, AP World History - The Rise of the Roman Republic: Help and Review, AP World History - The Fall of the Roman Empire: Help and Review, AP World History - The Dark Ages: Help and Review, AP World History - Early Middle Ages: Help and Review, AP World History - The Medieval Warm Period: Help and Review, AP World History - The High Middle Ages: Help and Review, AP World History - Asia, Africa & America (1000-1300 CE): Help and Review, AP World History - The Late Middle Ages: Help and Review, AP World History - The Renaissance: Help and Review, AP World History - The Age of Exploration: Help and Review, AP World History - The Reformation Across Europe: Help and Review, AP World History - Imperialism: Help and Review, AP World History - The Elizabethan Era: Help and Review, AP World History - The Enlightenment: Help and Review, AP World History - Political, Technological & Intellectual History: Help & Review, AP World History - Colonialism: Help and Review, AP World History - World War I: Help and Review, AP World History - World War II: Help and Review, AP World History - The Cold War: Help & Review, AP World History - Major 20th Century Events: Help & Review, AP World History - A Globalized World - 1980 & Beyond: Help and Review, Portions of the AP World History Exam: Help and Review, AP World History Exam Essay Writing: Help and Review, Essay Writing Your AP World History Exam: Help & Review, Empires & Inventions of the Ancient Near East, Global Conflict & Developments Since 1945, Middle School US History: Help and Review, SAT Subject Test World History: Tutoring Solution, SAT Subject Test US History: Tutoring Solution, Middle School World History: Homeschool Curriculum, Robert McNamara & the Cuban Missile Crisis, Primary Source: Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, Medal of Honor Recipient Sergeant Salvatore Giunta, Cartesian Rationalism vs. Lockean Rationalism, Rational Ignorance vs. [39] Her head is bent downwards slightly so that her gaze rests on the ground rather than the viewer. Nike probably did not originally have a separate cult at Athens. Any time Nike was sculpted, she had wings. . Thus Nike was normally depicted as a beautiful woman, with a lyre in hand, to celebrate victory, a wreath, to crown a victor, and a bowl and cup for libations to honour the gods. The Greek God Hermes | What is Hermes the God of? Nike had three siblings: Zelos . [39] The Nike of Corfu also has a hollowed out back which has resulted in Parkin, C. Vermeule, and D. Von Bothmer to hypothesize that the statue was originally mounted on another base or the statue was intended to fit into the hand of a larger deity. This statue was made of Thasian marble and showed the goddess standing almost completely straight with a slight lean forwards to indicate Nike's downward and slight forward alighting motion. [12], In Greek mythology Nike, the personification of victory, has two possible origin stories. Her mother was an Oceanid, a sea nymph, named Styx. She was most frequently recognized as the daughter of Styx and Pallas, the sister of Zelus, Cratus, and Bia, and as a close friend to both Zeus and Athena. Only once Hephaestus tried to annoy her erotically, but the goddess resisted bravely. The goddess is standing with both legs straight and together. ", Parkin, Andrew. The Winged Victory of Samothrace Author: Lyoko88 CC BY-SA 4.0. In addition to her image, the Olympic medal has the wreath of victory and shield symbols typically associated with Nike. Nike is the Greek goddess of victory, both in regards to war and friendly competition. Nike. "A Statuette of Nike From the Collection of John Ruskin. She is a fairly minor goddess who doesn't star in any major Myths, but her role is an important one in many wars. Agencies. Angitia. Athena Nike was always wingless. 2 / 8. Athena Nike was always wingless. Goddess Nike - Goddess of Victory. Excavations have shown that the sculpture was placed alighting on a flagship, which was set in the ground in such a way that it appeared to float. She was the daughter of Pallas and Styx. She is typically described as either an attendant of the Greek Gods Zeus and Athena or as a facet of their personalities. The name Nike was chosen by company founders because of her attributes of speed and victory. Her Roman counterpart is Victoria. Known as Winged Victory, or the Winged Victory of Samothrace, it presents the goddess standing on the prow of a boat. Statues of her often include a lyre or kithara used to celebrate a victory with song and dance. In modern times, Nike is the namesake of the sports company Nike, and she is a mandatory feature on the medals given out at the Olympics. Zeus recruited the help of many gods and goddesses to take down his father, and this is when Styx offered her four children to help. One of the most prominent sculptures depicting this deity is Nike of Samothrace, dated to the period between 424 and 203 BC. Statues of her attempt to evoke a sense of flight. It's considered one of the most erotic carvings on the Acropolis. Goddess who relieved people from pain and sorrow. Alongside her mother and siblings, Nike joined Zeus in his war against the Titans. When Zeus was gathering allies at the start of the Titan War, Styx brought her four children Nike, Zelos, Cratus and Bia into the service of the god. Who is the goddess Nick? Thirty per cent of sports footwear sales belong to Nike. [32], By the mid Classical period and the start of the Hellenistic period, statues of Nike begin to portray her with legs almost completely straight in an alighting pose meant to evoke an appearance out of nothing rather than a hurtling into view. In Greek Mythology the goddess Nike held a very important place in the society. 37 chapters | They lived out their days in Olympus with Zeus, and Nike took on her role as divine charioteer for both Zeus and Athena. Styx was one of the rivers that separated the realm of the dead, and Pallas was the Titan who personified the sun. The staff also granted its holder the ability to move seamlessly to and fro the living world and the underworld. The latter, discovered on Samothrace in 1863 and now in the Louvre Museum, Paris, was probably erected by Rhodians about 190 bce to commemorate a sea battle. After poring over and listening to this lesson, attempt to: To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. [43] In his Description of Greece Pausanias claims that Athena Nike's depiction as "Wingless Victory" was meant to keep the goddess in Athens. [13] In another source, Homeric Hymn 8, Ares the God of War is portrayed as the "father of warlike Victory. Other portrayals also show Nike playing an instrument such as a lyre, as well as kithara, in a symbol of celebrating victory but peacefully, over music and singing. As an attribute of both Athena, the goddess of wisdom, and the chief god, Zeus, Nike was represented in art as a small figure carried in the hand by those divinities. She became an employee at Nike, receiving a gold Swooshring, as well as shares of stocks at the company. In 'Nike and Ethics' we delve in to the lives of Aristotle and his prodigious student, Alexander the Great. Her responsibilities are described in the Myrrhine epigram (IG i^3 1330) and include maintaining the sanctuary and its statues. Nike, described as Victory, led Zeus into battle as Eris, Strife, led Typhon. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Zeus escaped as a child, and when he grew older, he fed his father a mixture of wine and mustard to cause him to throw up, releasing all of Zeus' siblings. bn. She could have been less angry, less reclusive. During the Titanomachy conflict, she was the chief charioteer. The multinational company Nike Inc., known for its athletic clothing and sports equipment, was named after the goddess Nike in 1971. [28] In both these examples Nike is associated with victory in an athletic competition rather than only a military competition. ThoughtCo, Dec. 6, 2021, thoughtco.com/greek-mythology-nike-1525981. Nike, Zelos, Kratos, and Bia were brought into the god's service by their mother. Log in or sign up to add this lesson to a Custom Course. In Greek mythology, Nike (/naki/ (listen); Ancient Greek: , lit. Stories about the goddess said that she would "swoop" in suddenly. Created about 200 B.C., it is one of the most famous sculptures in the world. In keeping with Zeuss promise to make Nike to live forever as the Goddess of speed, strength and victory, people of all ages have the opportunity to wear Nike shoes. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera.The Greeks were ambivalent towards him. Read at noblemtl.com. Worldhistoryedu is not responsible for the content of external sites. Nike, in ancient Greek religion, the goddess of victory, daughter of the giant Pallas and of the infernal River Styx. [49] As a result of the merging of the two goddesses Athena Nike was worshipped as a goddess of victory in Athens, particularly military victory. The primordial gods were the first to emerge from ChaosGaia, the Earth Mother; Kronos, the spirit of Time; Uranus, the sky and Thalassa, the spirit of the sea, among them. In the war between the gods and the Titans, Styx brought her children to serve Zeus. Nike is often depicted with several symbols and attributes. (2021, December 6). Thus, the process of selecting a priestess in Athens was not traditionally a democratic process. Pluto in ancient Roman mythology is the equivalent of Hades, the god of the underworld, i.e. Due to this, soldiers and military generals never went out to battle without offering some sort of prayers or sacrifice to the goddess. As a result of this, her body also leans slightly downwards. [44], While Nike was often included in the cults of other gods, particularly Zeus and Athena, very few sanctuaries were dedicated solely to her. The image of the goddess Nike is found on . One such example is Pheidias's statue of Zeus at Olympia. The design was changed after Brazil won 3 out of 4 World Cups in a row because, as per FIFA regulations, the trophy was theirs to keep permanently. The statue itself was roughly two meters high and was orientated to face the east. k/), "nee-keh" meaning: the Winged Goddess of Victory or from meaning victory Most people know who Nike is and what they do. If this is true it would make the word cognate with Ancient Greek (nekos, "strife") and Lithuanian ap-nikti ("to attack"). In 'Nike and War' we understand the myth of Ares, God of War, and how he relates to Nike, Goddess of Victory. NIKE (Nic) was the winged goddess of victory-victory both in war and in peaceful competition. [18] This role of assessing the greatness of skill of a god or mortal is most evident in war, where Nike is often depicted on the side of the victor granting them the victory. The fusion of the two goddesses at Athens has contributed to the ambiguity surrounding Nike's origins. As the goddess of speed, strength, and victory, Nike was a natural for a sports company. [53] This decree was also significant, according to Josine Blok, because it gave all Athenian women access to influential and prominent cultic roles in the Athenian city-state during a time when Athenian women's freedoms were fairly limited. A sculpture dating back to 424 to 203 BC known as Nike of Samothrace that was unearthed in 1863 may be seen at the Louvre Museum in Paris. Nike alone . Nike was the goddess of victory in Greek mythology, depicted as having wings, hence her alternative name "Winged Goddess". Of these, Nike was the most popular. She became a resident of Olympus after assisting Zeus in the Titan War, and she had the important duty of being the divine charioteer for both Zeus and Athena. This is because a victory parade or ceremony can never be complete without some form of singing or dancing. [27] In Bacchylides Ode 12 Nike encourages Teisias of Aegina to compete in the wrestling matches at Nemea. She has three siblings: The relationship between Nike's family and Zeus began at the beginning of the Titan War. The roman counterpart of Nike is the goddess, Victoria. The decree was unusual because it broke with Athenian tradition by handing over control of the cult to the state and instituting a democratic selection of the next priestess of Athena Nike by lot from all Athenian women. Outside of the Propelyea (the gate leading to the buildings on the Acropolis in Athenai) is. [20] When the many snake-headed giant Typhon laid siege to Olympus in the final days of the Titanomachy, Nike, in the form of Leto, reproached Zeus for his hesitancy in confronting Typhon and urged him to gather his thunderbolts in preparation to defend Olympus. The name Nike is believed to have originated from the Greek word Neikos. [11] According to a paper by Harrison (as cited in Sikes, 1895) Nike was once a facet of the Greek goddess Athena, who was composed of Boulaia (good council), Ergane (skilled handcraft), and Nike (victory). ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/greek-mythology-nike-1525981 (accessed January 18, 2023). Since 1928, the Olympics Medal has sported Nike on the obverse side bearing her wreath of victory and the shield upon which the victors name is inscribed. X27 ; s service by their mother ambivalent towards him as Eris, Strife led... And was orientated to face the east war against the Titans named after goddess! Into battle as Eris, Strife, led Zeus into battle as Eris Strife. The God of the rivers that separated the realm of the dead, and Bia were into! Is associated with victory in an athletic competition rather than only a military.... ) ; ancient Greek religion, the Olympic medal has the wreath of victory shield! 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