[33] Richard Neer proposes that this posture with the running stance, wings, and flowing garments were meant to evoke the swift speed of the goddess. One such statue can be found at the Zeus Temple in Attica. During the war with the Titans Zeus called all the gods to Olympus to determine their allegiance. Nike cannot Apple these blessings on herself, and only her teammates. Nike was the goddess representing victory. Since 1945, the goddess has also been used by the U.S. Anti Aircraft Missle System. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Glasgow. Nike is the Greek goddess of victory, daughter of the Titans Pallas and Styx. She had no love affairs and symbolized the eternal virginity. Nike is also depicted in literature as a goddess who judges the excellence of gods and mortals in competition. Horus, Egyptian Sky God Story, Facts & Mythology | What is Horus the God of? The name was chosen because nike is the goddess of speed and victory. NIKE (Nic) was the winged goddess of victory-victory both in war and in peaceful competition. Her left arm is raised and once held her himation, or outer robe, as it blew out behind her in the wind. [35] The statue originally stood near the temple of Zeus on an 8.45m high, three sided pillar. Corrections? Because Nike is the Goddess of Victory, she was often portrayed flying around the battlefield and bestowing the laurel wreath to the victors of a battle in Ancient Greek art. Throughout her history, she has been allied with the most powerful gods in the Greek Pantheon. Hyperion in Greek Mythology: God of Light | Who is Hyperion? [36] Additionally, Paionios's Nike has adopted a striding stance as opposed to a pinwheel-type running stance. As times started to . Every Olympic coin since 1928 has had an obverse with Nike - a palm frond in her right hand and a wreath of laurel in her left. Today one of the most popular shoe brands have the name nike. Persephone, Athenian red-figure bell krater C5th B.C., Metropolitan Museum of Art PERSEPHONE was the goddess queen of the underworld, wife of the god Haides (Hades). Several panels of this frieze can be seen in the Acropolis Museum, below the Acropolis. She is a fairly minor goddess who doesn't star in any major Myths, but her role is an important one in many wars. Greek Titans in Mythology | Who are the Titans? [21] She also mentions the possible repercussions of allowing Typhon to win, which includes the destruction of Olympus and the rape and enslavement Zeus's daughters Athena and Artemis. Her mother was an Oceanid, a sea nymph, named Styx. 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. In 'Nike and War' we understand the myth of Ares, God of War, and how he relates to Nike, Goddess of Victory. Nike is also portrayed erecting a trophy or, frequently, hovering with outspread wings over the victor in a competition, for her functions referred to success not only in war but in all undertakings. [32] This slight forward and downward motion is illustrated in the Capitoline Nike (460 BCE) from Magna Grecia. He wanted a logo that encouraged movement. She is typically described as either an attendant of the Greek Gods Zeus and Athena or as a facet of their personalities. Cronus had received a prophecy from his own father, Uranus, that one of his sons was eventually going to overthrow him, so he ate his children to prevent this from happening. In this essay you have learned that Nike is the goddess of speed, strength and victory. Her Roman equivalent was Victoria. Goddess of Fertility. In addition to her image, the Olympic medal has the wreath of victory and shield symbols typically associated with Nike. Her winged, straight, and slightly bent posture evokes the appearance that she is looking down at where to place her feet as she descends. The campaign embodied Nike's image as an innovative American icon associated with success through the combination of professional athletes and motivational slogans emphasizing sportsmanship and health. Nike was the ancient Greek goddess of victory--victory both in war and in peaceful competition. Copy. [36] At her feet an eagle is shown to fly to the viewer's left as Nike moves forward with left leg stepping down to touch the earth. Also known as Winged Goddess, Nike is most often pictured as having wings. (2021, December 6). "The Greek goddess of Victory" replied Johnson. Goddess of the circle . Gddess and personification of eternity. Pluto in ancient Roman mythology is the equivalent of Hades, the god of the underworld, i.e. [12] According to Sikes, Nike existed as an independent deity from Athena since Nike represented victory in musical, athletic, and military competitions and Athena's authority was limited to strictly military victories. Rational Irrationality, Caplan's Rational Irrationality: Definition & Economics, WWI New Weapons & Technology: Tanks, Machine Guns & Planes, Working Scholars Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community, Zelus, the god of rivalry and competition. According to some ancient Greek texts, Nike was regarded as the daughter of. https://www.thoughtco.com/greek-mythology-nike-1525981 (accessed January 18, 2023). Although her wings are lost, the roots of them can still be seen behind her shoulders. the god of death. why is the industrial revolution considered the most important event that happened in human history For the ancient Greeks, speed and strength were the two keys to victory in anything important - combat, wrestling, running, or boxing - so it made sense that she'd be connected to all of them. But every single image depicts the range of products Unilever manufactures. Angitia. She was closely connected to Zeus and Athena, but wasn't a very common goddess in the Greek myths. 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. The small, perfectly formed Temple of Athena Nike, to the right of the Propylaeathe entrance to the Acropolis of Athensis the earliest, Ionic temple on the Acropolis. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 84,000 Baudrillart, in another paper (as cited in Sikes, 1895), shares a similar view that Nike was once a part of Athena and separated from her around the 5th century. She usually has wings, but occasionally she is wingless, especially in some later statues and depictions of her, as the Greeks were afraid that if they gave her wings, she might fly away and leave them forever. The Greek goddess also wears sandals of gold, and besides victory, her two other main associations are strength and speed. Indeed, Davidson may not have been aware at the beginning what powerful branding she had invented, but soon enough her efforts were praised. As the Winged Goddess of Victory, Nike needs to proclaim people's victories, sort of like . But, by far, her large wings are her greatest attribute. Who thought of the name Nike? Nike was appointed his charioteer, and together the four became sentinels of Zeus' throne. Greek Siren Names & Goddesses | Overview, Mystery & Legends, Eros the Greek God of Love Facts: Lesson for Kids. Answer (1 of 9): The name originated with Nike's employee #1, Jeff Johnson. Nike has become a common symbol in the modern sports world. It's also one of the most recognizable companies, thanks to its unique emblem. . Her wings are attached to her upper back and her body runs to the side while her head is turned to observe the viewer instead of the place she is running to. Who is the goddess Nick? The 2 goddesses are similar in many aspects, for example, both goddesses are winged deities. It can also symbolize victory because after every conflict, there's peace and victory. In Greek mythology, she was always portrayed as a symbol of victory, strength, and speed. "[17] As a result, Nike is often portrayed in literature in association with Zeus since she holds an honorable position by his side: "Victory in golden Olympus, standing beside Zeus"[18], In Nonnos' Dionysiaca, Nike is described as an emissary of Athena who was sent to aid Zeus in his battle against Typhon. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Queen Victorias Father, the Duke of Kent, The Boston Massacre: The American Revolution, Staff of Hermes and the golden winged sandals, 15 interesting things you need to know about Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine, Poseidon: Myths and Facts about the Greek God of the Sea, Greek God Hermes: Myths, Powers and Early Portrayals. Nike, Inc. is a multinational company that was founded in 1964, though the name of the company was not Nike until 1971. Where did the idea from Nike's Just Do It campaign come from? As Nike is a brand dedicated to sportswear and sports equipment, the company decided being based on Nike, the Goddess of Victory, was a fitting choice. OregonLive.com estimates the gift of 500 shares of Nike stock she received as a result of her . Anubis & Bastet | Hieroglyph, Form & Mythology, Hera, Queen of the Gods | Powers, Story & Myths, Mnemosyne Symbols, Daughters & Mythology | The Greek Goddess of Memory. 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. Styx was one of the rivers that separated the realm of the dead, and Pallas was the Titan who personified the sun. She represented ultimate success and triumph. In the 20th century, Nike became the name for one of the world's largest shoe companies. Nike alone . She was also depicted on the FIFA World Cup trophy for many decades. This statue of Nike was made of Parian marble and was dedicated to Zeus by the Messenians and Naupaktians around 420 BCE during the Classical period. 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. A successful brand should be a short word maximum two with an exotic letter according to Jeff Johnson, the company's first employee in Massachusetts. Nike is named after a woman - the Greek goddess of victory- but for most of . The oldest artifact showing Nike can be further seen on Delos, a Greek island, and dated to sometime around 550 BC. It came to him in a dream. To fit with her existence as the goddess of victory, the meaning of Nike's name translates to "victory" in Ancient Greek. [32] The marble statue of Nike, possibly designed by Arkhermos of Chios and found at Delos, dates to around 550 BCE and exemplifies this style of pose. It goes some way to explain her complicated origin. [27] In Bacchylides Ode 12 Nike encourages Teisias of Aegina to compete in the wrestling matches at Nemea. She was always present during friendly competitions, flying around and celebrating victors. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you Regula, deTraci. Nike was mainly known for her overwhelmingly positive traits, but she had an overwhelming desire to always win due to her title as the goddess of victory. Her counterpart in Roman mythology might ring a bell even better, that is the goddess Victoria. Nike, described as Victory, led Zeus into battle as Eris, Strife, led Typhon. The Nike. Athena loved martial arts and she was giving herself constantly to them. [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). By changing Nike's stance, Paionios has relinquished depiction of Nike's swift speed in favor of depicting her in a forward alighting motion that directly engages the viewer. Bia was the goddess of force, Kratos was the god of strength, Zelus was the god of zeal, and Nike was the goddess of victory. When she did, though, she was always shown as the goddess of victory, strength, and speed. In classical iconography, Nikeis depicted as a fit, young, winged women with a palm frond or blade. Nike, ("Neekee" or "Nikay") is the Greek word for victory. ThoughtCo. Athena Nike was always wingless. Winged Victory of Samothrace statue in the Louvre. Thirty per cent of sports footwear sales belong to Nike. Of these, Nike was the most popular. This statue is speculated to be from the Hellenistic period according to Andrew Parkin. This was due to the fact that she was so closely associated with Athena and Zeus, who were much more prominent and revered figures in Greek mythology. This makes a whole lot of sense, considering the fact that Nike was the bringer of victory, i.e. The Greek goddess 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). She was the child of Pallas (Titan) and Styx In most beliefs, Styx is the name of the river that separates Planet Earth from the Gates of Hell (Hades). It has also been noted that earlier depictions of Nemesis made her slightly resemble Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and passion. In turn, the Olympians Zeus, Hera, Athena, Apollo, and Aphroditedefeated them and became the leading gods. Nike is a personification of victory. "[14], Nike is often portrayed in literature in close association with Zeus or Athena. Other times, she just appeared in the background. Stories about the goddess said that she would "swoop" in suddenly. To reward her for the efforts, as soon as he comes to power, Zeus agrees to keep Nike always close to him, offering an eternal protection. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The most celebrated depiction of Nike is not in Greece at all but dominates a gallery of the Louvre in Paris. [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. If you are wondering if there is more meaning besides the denotations and the sound mimic, yes, there is. The staff also granted its holder the ability to move seamlessly to and fro the living world and the underworld. Believed to be the daughter of a titan, she fought for the gods in the Titanomachy and earned her place among them (Scott & Editors, 2017). 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