Everyone and everyone is familiar with the figure of the winged Goddesses of Victory, strength and speed - Nicky- Embodiments of success. And this is the Goddess of Victory, who really sweeps away everything and everyone in her path, who was the constant companion of Zeus, who has long been depicted with the figure of Nike in her hands. After all, as the legend says, the Goddess helped the Thunderer in his struggle with his father Kron for power. Nika helped Zeus achieve a triumph, and after that he did not part with her. Nika - this is a later manifestation of poetic Greek fantasies. Homer did not yet have any mention of her, and Hesiod (about 700 BC) already gives her genealogy. The daughter of Palniita (son of the titan Crius) and the goddess of the underground river Styx entered Greek mythology.
She was a dark-haired girl of a violent rebellious disposition, courageous and strong in spirit, kind, honest and fair, with huge wings of gold behind her shoulders. She stayed at the battles and tournaments of wrestlers, accepted sacrifices after the victory, flew over the earth with the news of a favorable end to the war. There are many testimonies about her victories, one of which can be found in the Orphic hymn Nike (III-II century BC).
Nika was a special favorite of the king and commander Alexander the Great. Altars to the Goddess were built by the king at all stages of valiant campaigns. Yes, and later rulers decorated the monuments with the figure of this winged beautiful girl.
Nika helps gods and people not only in battles, but also in artistic and sports competitions, but only to those who do not want loud fame, self-interest and profit, and who really needs victory.
In the III century or the beginning of the II century BC. on the Greek island of Samothrace, a statue of Nike of Samothrace was created and installed on a pedestal in the form of a galley prow, on a huge rock at the entrance to the harbor. The place was not chosen by chance. After all, according to Homer, from the top of the rock, the god of the sea, Poseidon, monitored the progress of the Trojan War. And in the gorge at the source, it seems, lived a winged Nika.
Outstretched wings and heavy folds of clothing wrap around the figure of the statue striving forward, transmit the overcoming resistance to the wind, which seeks to press its spread wings, and to the furious waves beating against the rock at Nike's feet. And thanks to this struggle, the powerful proportions of the statue lose their heaviness, acquiring a charming harmony. Leaning forward a little in anxious tension and impulse, Nika as if preparing to take off over the sea, against the wind. In the hand of the statue is a cruciform decoration of an enemy ship.
1863 French archaeologists find many fragments of the statue of Nike, which were carefully collected. But, alas, the head and hands of the Goddess were not found, despite careful searches. A century later, not far from the site of the original excavations in Samothrace, a right hand was found. But there are still fierce discussions about whether it belongs to Nika. The figure of Nike's statue is so graceful and expressive that, looking at it today, you forget about the absence of a head and hands. There are also images of Nike - a woman with wings, a laurel wreath or a palm branch, sometimes on a chariot. One of the sculptures of the Greek Nike was taken to Rome. Emperor Augustus named her by the Latin name Victoria, installed her in the Senate on a ball representing the Earth, and put a wreath and a palm branch into her hands. It became a ritual for the senators to offer sacrifices of wine and fragrant oil on the altar before the meeting. Victoria was considered the "virgin guardian of the empire" and the embodiment of the fate and power of Rome. A special attitude towards her was formed when, during a fire during the reign of Nero, the statue miraculously survived. But the Christian emperors ordered Nike to be removed from the Senate, despite the opposition of the Romans, faithful to traditions, who saw this as a sign of the inevitable end of Rome.
Today, a copy of the Goddess is located in the museum of the island of Samothrace, and the original Nike of Samothrace (190 BC) found during excavations in 1863 - the treasure of the museum collection - can be seen in Paris, where it adorns the Louvre, along with the Venus de Milo.

The Greek pantheon of gods is vast, and for every activity there is a patron in it. Coming to the temples, people desperately prayed to the gods for the satisfaction of their requests and desires, a better fate, prosperity, talents and victories in battles. They came to ask the mighty Nike about the latter. She listened to the stories of the warriors and gave them her blessing.

History of creation

Greek mythology says that Nike was also called Nike. The meaning of the name of the goddess stands for "victory". The unusual origin of the representative of the superior race has endowed her with the ability to bring victory to the side on which she acts.

On numerous images of Nike, she is placed in the palm of her hand or, thereby indicating the goddess's need for support, both among immortals and among ordinary people. Nika is young. Her image is described in the works of Hesiod, dated to the 7th century BC. The pedigree of the heroine is presented briefly, without additional details.

He became the first who unquestioningly worshiped Nike. In honor of her, the emperor erected temples and made generous donations. Perhaps this ensured his military glory and numerous victories in battles. Alexander the Great had the idea to decorate the head of a victor with a wreath of laurel, which was an attribute accompanying Nike.

The image of the goddess symbolized the successful completion of the war, victory in any competition and the triumphant end of any activity. Nika patronized military, sports, musical events and even religious events organized in the name of the success of the cause.

Nika was depicted with wings, allowing her to move quickly. A bandage and a wreath accompanied her in any event. Later, a palm tree and weapons replenished the arsenal. The harbinger of victory, on sculptures and artistic images, the heroine hovers over the victor or affectionately nods her head to him. She is sometimes described as a woman driving a chariot or a priestess performing a sacrifice.

In ancient Greek mythology

Based on the myths and legends that belonged to the pen of ancient Greek authors, Nike was considered the daughter of the titan Pallas and a monster named Styx. She had sisters - Strength, Envy and Power. Athena, the daughter of Zeus, took over the upbringing of the girl, and she accompanied her everywhere. They were inseparable. This explains the fact that on the Acropolis in Athens there is a small temple dedicated to Nike - Apteros.

The mother of the goddess and her sisters, having learned about the struggle between the titans and giants, went over to the enemies. Nike took the side of Zeus. She drove the chariot of the Thunderer, attracting good luck. The patroness helped musicians, actors, athletes - everyone who wanted to know the taste of victory. The winged girl easily flew from one army to another, not distinguished by constancy.

There are many works of art dedicated to the notorious character of myths. Her popularity was amazing, so a similar goddess appeared in Rome. They named her Victoria. The reason for the emergence of faith in this goddess was the transfer of the golden statue of Nike to Rome. Stolen from the Greek ruler Pyrrhus, she was installed in the Senate by command. The girl stood on a ball that personified the Earth, and held in her hands a palm branch and a laurel wreath, which she awarded her chosen ones. For four hundred years, senators, visiting the place of service, made sacrifices near the statue, leaving a goblet with wine or oil.

Sailors, who wished for a successful completion of the journey, decorated the prows of their ships with the image of the goddess. The sculptor Phidias was among the first sculptors who portrayed Nike as a miniature winged maiden that fit in the palm of Zeus. The first sculpture dedicated to the goddess of victory and gained worldwide popularity is a statue inside the temple of Apteros. The depicted girl holds a helmet and a pomegranate in her hands, symbolizing prosperity and fertility. The statue did not have wings, which contradicted the tradition of depicting the goddess. The Athenians believed that by depriving her of her wing, they would triumph forever.

Another interesting work of the ancient sculptor was Nike of Samothrace. The statue was brought after excavations to Paris. Archaeologists have found 200 fragments of sculpture, which are brought together through the efforts of restorers. Charles Champoiseau found them in 1863. The masters failed to restore the sculpture: the statue was left without a head, arms and wings, which were later repeated from plaster by specialists of the 19th century. The statue is kept in the Louvre, the main museum of Paris, and continues to delight art critics with its aesthetics and sophistication.

Perhaps today it is difficult to meet a person who would not know anything about ancient Greek mythology and the gods mentioned in it. We encounter the inhabitants of Olympus on the pages of books, in cartoons and in feature films. Today, the heroine of our story will be the winged goddess Nika. We invite you to get to know this inhabitant of the Ancient Olympus.

Goddess Nike: description

In ancient Greek mythology, her name sounds the same as "Nike". She represents the goddess of victory and is the daughter of the titan Pallas and the monstrous creature Styx, personifying primeval horror. Nike was brought up together with one of the most revered goddesses of war and wisdom in ancient Greek mythology - Athena. She was an ally of the great Zeus in his fight against giants and titans. Nike accompanies Athena everywhere, helping her in her affairs. By the way, in Roman mythology, Victoria corresponds to her.

What does Nike represent?

This goddess is the personification of a happy outcome and a positive result in any business. Nika takes part not only in military operations, but also in sports, music and religious events organized on the occasion of success. It can be said that Nika, rather, symbolized the very fact of a perfect victory, rather than any actions and steps that led to it.

The image of the goddess

Most often, this heroine of ancient Greek mythology is depicted with wings and in a pose of rapid movement above the surface of the earth. Nike's essential attributes are a bandage and a wreath. Later, a palm tree joined them, as well as a trophy and weapons. Sculptors, as a rule, depicted this goddess as a participant in a festival or ritual of sacrifice, or as a messenger of victory. With her, most often there is an attribute of Hermes - a staff. The goddess of victory, Nike, either appears affectionately nodding her head to the winner, or hovers weightlessly over him, as if crowning his head, or drives his chariot, or slaughters an animal during a sacrifice, or constructs a trophy from the weapons of a defeated enemy. Her sculptures are almost always accompanied by sculptures of the great Zeus and Pallas Athena. In them Nika is depicted in the hand of more significant

An asteroid discovered in 1891 was named after Nicky. The XXXIII Orphic hymn is also dedicated to the winged goddess of victory. In addition, her name was taken as the basis for the creation of the name of the American sports brand "Nike".

Temple of Nike Apteros

The structure is located on a steep hill on the right side of the main entrance (Propylaea). Here, the locals worshiped the goddess in the hope that she would contribute to a positive outcome in the long war against the Spartans and their allies.

Unlike the Acropolis itself, which could only be entered through the central entrance, the sanctuary of the winged goddess was accessible. This temple was built by a famous architect of ancient Rome named Callicrates between 427 and 424 BC. Previously, this place was the sanctuary of Athena, which was destroyed by the Persians around 480 BC. The building is an amphiprostyle - a type of temple in Ancient Greece, both on the front and on the back facade of which there are four columns in one row. The stylobate of the building consists of three steps. The friezes are decorated with sculptural reliefs depicting Zeus, Poseidon and Athena, as well as scenes of military battles. The originals of the surviving fragments of these decorations are currently stored in the Greek temple, but only copies can be seen.

Like most of the Acropolis buildings, the Temple of Nike was erected from Pentelicon marble. A few years after its completion, the building was surrounded by a parapet in order to protect people from a possible fall from a high cliff. Inside the temple was a statue of Nike. In one hand she held a helmet (a symbol of war), and in the other a pomegranate (a sign of fertility). Unlike most accepted depictions, the statue did not have wings. This was done on purpose - so that victory would never leave the walls of the city. Actually, that is why the building was called the Temple of Nike Asperos, that is, the wingless victory.

Nike of Samothrace

This sculpture is another image of the Olympian goddess that has come down to us from ancient times. Its fragments in the amount of more than 200 pieces were brought to Paris from Greece by the archaeologist Charles Champoiseau in 1863. Thanks to the painstaking work and efforts of the restorers, a magnificent statue was revived from them. Despite the fact that the goddess Nike was deprived of her arms and head, as well as one wing (which was eventually made of plaster), she conquered all art lovers and for many decades has been one of the most valuable exhibits of the Louvre.

Victoria, Roman goddess of victory and personification of victory

Victoria, lat., greek Nike is the Roman goddess of victory and the personification of victory. In the photo: The gilded figure of Victoria - the Goddess of Victory on top of the Victory Column, popularly referred to as the Golden Elsa (Goldelse).

In ancient times, the Romans considered it a divine power that promotes victory (especially in war). Later, she was elevated to the rank of goddess and giver of victory - modeled on the Greek Nike. The temple in her honor was built only at the beginning of the 3rd century. BC e. on the Palatine. The cult of Victoria acquired a special scope under the Empire, when the goddess was proclaimed the inseparable companion of the emperors. In addition to her, the Romans revered two more ancient goddesses of victory: one of them was called Pellonia (Putting to flight [the enemy]), the other - Vika Pota (Mighty Conqueror).

Painting by Rubens "The Triumph of Victoria".

Fewer statues of Victoria have come down to us than reports of Roman victories. With a few exceptions, these are mediocre works without much artistic pretension. Rare exceptions include her statues in the Brescia Museum and in the Louvre in Paris, as well as the relief of the arch of Emperor Diocletian in Florence. One of her statues stood in the Roman Senate from the time of Augustus until 394 (it was briefly removed from there only under the emperor Gratian). In 394 she was publicly smashed as a pagan idol. An accidental, but deeply symbolic coincidence: a year later, the Roman Empire was divided, and until the very end of the history of Ancient Rome, military victories were no longer celebrated in it.

In the photographs: Brandenburg Gate in Berlin in the chariot of the goddess Victoria.

triumphal column(Siegessäule) or the Victory Column is a monument to the history of Germany and a landmark of Berlin in the center of the Tiergarten park on Big Star Square. Photo from 1900.

The goddess Nike of Samothrace is a beautiful girl who is depicted in flight above the earth, with a bandage and a wreath in her hands. This statue was found on the island of Samothrace, on the site of the Kabir sanctuary, in 1863. According to historians, it was placed in honor of the victory over the troops of the king of Syria on one of the sheer cliffs, making the prow of the ship a pedestal.

Who is the goddess Nike?

The goddess Nike is the goddess of victory, the daughter of the titan Pallas and Styx, the Akkadians believed that she was raised with the daughter of Zeus, Pallas Athena. In the era of the war between the Thunderer and the Titans, Nike helped the supreme ruler of Olympus, because all the gods swore by the waters of her mother Styx. The Greeks placed the statue of Nike in the hand of Zeus or Athena, emphasizing that both gods and people needed her help. Nike is called the youngest goddess of the Greek pantheon, Homer does not mention her name, and in the poetry of Geosis, who worked in the 7th century BC, only her genealogy is indicated.

The goddess Nika became especially popular thanks to the great warrior Alexander the Great, who erected temples in her honor and made generous sacrifices. The commander introduced the tradition of decorating Nike with a laurel wreath as a winner, which has survived to this day. And the ancient rulers of Greece considered it an honor to portray the patroness of success near their statues.

What does the goddess Nike look like?

The figurine of the goddess, which was found on the island of Samothrace, towered over the sea. As scientists have calculated, this beautiful girl blew a horn, announcing victory. A beautiful figure in a dash forward, wings that testify to triumph. Later, she was depicted with a wreath or weapon and a palm branch, sometimes with the staff of Hermes, the messenger of the gods. There is a legend that when Nika, the goddess of victory, announced success, trumpets were played, and today, awarding the winners of the competition with a wreath of laurel is accompanied by surrogates.

What did the goddess Nike patronize?

Since ancient times, the winged girl has patronized the warriors, the goddess of war Nika was considered the assistant of all famous warriors. When she went over to the side of Zeus, he made her his constant companion, because the ancient Greeks prayed for victory over the enemy to the one who is closest to the Thunderer. She was called the harbinger of victory, astrologers believe that she patronizes, therefore, there are many prominent figures among the representatives of this sign.

And they were sure that the goddess Nika is the patroness:

• sports competitions;
• competitions of musicians;
• religious ceremonies that were held for the sake of successful achievements.

Goddess Nike in Greece

It is known that the temple of Nike Apteros was located in Athens, the statue was preserved without arms and head, so the idea of ​​​​her face is only an invention of the sculptors. There is a version that allegedly the Athenians depicted a harbinger of victory without wings so that they could not leave the best warriors of Greece in battle. What patronized Nike - the Greek goddess? The Greeks called her a symbol:

• success and all-conquering beginning;
• courage, spirit, kindness;
• honesty and justice;
• support for those who need victory not for self-interest.

Roman goddess Nike

The Romans called the harbinger of victory differently, the ancient goddess Nike was called Victoria. For many centuries, she was the personification of the power of the Roman Empire, so her statue, which was taken from Greece, stood in the Senate. Before the meetings, the senators made sacrifices to her - oil and wine. After the statue of Nike Victoria became the only one that survived after the fire set by Nero, she began to be called the virgin guardian of the empire. It was believed that the goddess decides the fate of Rome and protects it.

Goddess Nike - myth

The story of the goddess Nike, which has survived to this day, says that this winged girl decided to support Zeus in the war with the titans, which lasted for many generations, only with her help did the Thunderer manage to overthrow the ruler of Kronos. After accession to Olympus, Zeus never parted with Nika, always listening to her opinion. The texts of antiquity mention the friendship of the harbinger of victory with Pallas Athena, because they grew up side by side and trusted each other.

The goddess Nike is a legend about courage and the ability to overcome the enemy even in hopeless situations, a symbol of the victory of the strongest in spirit. Therefore, a popular Russian film award was named after her, the first ceremony of which took place in 1987. The Nikoy award began to be called only from the 2nd ceremony. And the well-known Nike company created a slogan based on this name, as a symbol of success and movement as fast as on the wings of victory.