Nike (mythology)

Nike
	Goddess of victory
	Stone carving of the goddess Nike at the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus
Abode	Mount Olympus
Symbol	golden sandals, wings, wreaths
Personal information
Parents	Pallas and Styx
Siblings	Kratos, Bia, Zelus
Roman equivalent	Victoria

In ancient Greek religion, Nike (/ˈnaɪki/; Ancient Greek: Νίκη, "Victory" [nǐːkɛː]) was a goddess who personified victory. Her Roman equivalent was Victoria.

Etymology

Statuette of goddess Nike found in Vani, Georgia

The word νίκη nikē is of uncertain etymology. R. S. P. Beekes has suggested a Pre-Greek origin.^[1] Others have connected it to Proto-Indo-European *neik- (“to attack, start vehemently”), making it cognate with Greek νεῖκος (neikos, "strife") and Lithuanian ap-ni̇̀kti ("to attack").^[2]^[3]

Family

Nike was variously described as the daughter of the Titan Pallas and the goddess Styx, and the sister of Kratos (Strength), Bia (Force), and Zelus (Zeal).^[4]

"And Styx the daughter of Ocean was joined to Pallas and bore Zelus (Emulation) and trim-ankled Nike (Victory) in the house. Also she brought forth Cratos (Strength) and Bia (Force), wonderful children."

In other sources, Nike was described as the daughter of Ares, the god of war.

"Ares . . . O defender of Olympos, father of warlike Nike (Victory)."

Mythology

Nike and her siblings were close companions of Zeus, the dominant deity of the Greek pantheon. According to classical (later) myth, Styx brought them to Zeus when the god was assembling allies for the Titanomachy against the older deities. Nike assumed the role of the divine charioteer, a role in which she often is portrayed in Classical Greek art. Nike flew around battlefields rewarding the victors with glory and fame, symbolized by a wreath of laurel leaves (bay leaves).

Depiction

Nike is seen with wings in most statues and paintings, with one of the most famous being the Winged Victory of Samothrace. Most other winged deities in the Greek pantheon had shed their wings by Classical times. Nike is the goddess of strength, speed, and victory. Nike was a very close acquaintance of Athena, and is thought to have stood in Athena's outstretched hand in the statue of Athena located in the Parthenon.^[5] Nike is also one of the most commonly portrayed figures on Greek coins.^[6]

Names stemming from Nike include among others: Nikolaos, Nicholas, Nicola, Nick, Nicolai, Niccolò, Nikolai, Nicolae, Nils, Klaas, Nicole, Ike, Niki, Nikita, Nikitas, Nika, Nieke, Naike, Niketas, Nikki, Nico, and Veronica.

Contemporary usage

Statue of the Goddess Nike on the Titanic Engineers' Memorial, Southampton

The sports equipment company Nike, Inc. is named after the Greek goddess Nike.^[7]
Project Nike, an American anti-aircraft missile system is named after the goddess Nike.^[8]^:3
Since Giuseppe Cassioli's design for the 1928 Summer Olympics, the obverse face of every Olympic medal bears Nike's figure holding a palm frond in her right hand and a winner's laurel crown in her left.^[9]^[10]
The Honda motorcycle company's logo is inspired by the goddess Nike.^[11]

Family tree

Family of Eurybia and Crius

Astra Planeta

Phainon

Fontes

Lacus

Notes

↑ R. S. P. Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek, Brill, 2009, pp. 1021–2.
↑ Blümel, Wolfgang (24 August 1982). "Zeitschrift für vergleichende Sprachforschung auf dem Gebiete der Indogermanischen Sprachen: Ergänzungshefte". Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht – via Google Books.
↑ Birnbaum, Henrik (24 August 1975). "Common Slavic: Progress and Problems in Its Reconstruction". Slavica Publishers – via Google Books.
↑ Smith, Nice.
↑ "Nike: Greek goddess of victory". Theoi.com. Retrieved 2011-11-15.
↑ Sayles, Wayne G. (2007). Ancient Coin Collecting II. Krause Publications. p. 149. ISBN 978-0-89689-516-4.
↑ Levinson, Philip. "How Nike almost ended up with a very different name". Business Insider. Retrieved 2017-06-07.
↑ Morgan, Mark L.; Berhow, Mark A. (2002). Rings of Supersonic Steel: Air Defenses of the United States Army 1950-1979 : an Introductory History and Site Guide. Hole In The Head Press. ISBN 978-0-615-12012-6.
↑ Winner's medal for the 1948 Olympic Games in London, Olympic.org. Accessed 5 August 2011.
↑ "Picture of 2004 Athens Games Medal". Retrieved 2010-01-28.
↑ "The Honda logotype | The Honda Trials History". www.onlytrial.com. Retrieved 2017-05-19.

References

Smith, William; A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. William Smith, LLD. William Wayte. G. E. Marindin. Albemarle Street, London. John Murray. 1890. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.

External links

Media related to Nike at Wikimedia Commons
The dictionary definition of Nike at Wiktionary
Goddess Nike

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[1] R. S. P. Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek, Brill, 2009, pp. 1021–2.

[2] Blümel, Wolfgang (24 August 1982). "Zeitschrift für vergleichende Sprachforschung auf dem Gebiete der Indogermanischen Sprachen: Ergänzungshefte". Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht – via Google Books.

[3] Birnbaum, Henrik (24 August 1975). "Common Slavic: Progress and Problems in Its Reconstruction". Slavica Publishers – via Google Books.

[4] Smith, Nice.

[5] "Nike: Greek goddess of victory". Theoi.com. Retrieved 2011-11-15.

[6] Sayles, Wayne G. (2007). Ancient Coin Collecting II. Krause Publications. p. 149. ISBN 978-0-89689-516-4.

[7] Levinson, Philip. "How Nike almost ended up with a very different name". Business Insider. Retrieved 2017-06-07.

[8] Morgan, Mark L.; Berhow, Mark A. (2002). Rings of Supersonic Steel: Air Defenses of the United States Army 1950-1979 : an Introductory History and Site Guide. Hole In The Head Press. ISBN 978-0-615-12012-6.

[olympicorg-9] Winner's medal for the 1948 Olympic Games in London, Olympic.org. Accessed 5 August 2011.

[10] "Picture of 2004 Athens Games Medal". Retrieved 2010-01-28.

[honda-11] "The Honda logotype | The Honda Trials History". www.onlytrial.com. Retrieved 2017-05-19.