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Nike (mythology)
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:''This article discusses the Greek Goddess. For the sports apparel and equipment company, see
Nike, Inc.''
{{Greek myth (personified)}}
In
Greek mythology, '''Nike''' (
Greek language Greek Νίκη,
International Phonetic Alphabet pronounced /'nike/ "NEE-keh", meaning "Victory") , was a
goddess who personified
triumph and
victory. She was capable of running and flying at great speeds and the sister of
Cratos,
Bia (mythology) Bia, and
Zelus. Nike and her siblings were all companions of
Zeus.
Image:Victoire de Samothrace.jpg left|thumb|225px|The [[Winged Victory of Samothrace in the
Louvre,
Paris]]
Other than her great speed, she had no special powers of her own. She was effectively treated as a bringer of good luck and was often assimilated with other gods, for instance being depicted by Greek sculptors as a tiny winged figure perching on another god's arm, peeping out from a fellow god's clothes or flying above like a winged fairy. In her best-known depictions, such as the
Winged Victory of Samothrace (now in the
Louvre,
Paris), she is shown as a naked or armoured winged figure. She was often depicted on
Greek vases with her standard attributes of wreath, jug, phial, and
thymiaterion (
censer), shown standing alone, flying or striding, or pouring a
libation over an altar. In some regions (particularly the Greek colonies of southern Italy) she was depicted as a
charioteer. Elsewhere she was sometimes shown holding weapons or trophies, or playing a
lyre or a
flute.
Nike was often worshipped in conjunction with
Athena, with whom she was particularly closely associated after the Greek victory over the
Persian Empire Persians at the
Battle of Marathon in
490 BC. The great statue of Athena Parthenos in the
Parthenon in
Athens is thought to have depicted Nike, and the Parthenon complex included a Temple of Athena Nike, built around
410 BC. The Athenians also dedicated a statue to Nike at
Delphi. The statue of Zeus at
Olympia, Greece Olympia reportedly also depicted Nike. On occasions, Athena was depicted with Nike's attributes. According to
Pausanias (geographer) Pausanias, the statue of Athena Nike depicted a wingless Nike ("Nike Apteros"), supposedly so that the statue could never leave the city of Athens. This temple has also provided a famous surviving depiction of the goddess, ''Nike unfastening her sandal'' ("Nike Slancio"), which was originally part of the temple parapret and is now on display in the
Acropolis Museum in Athens.
Image:Niké Éphèse.jpg right|thumb|200px|Sculpture depicting Nike at [[Ephesus]]
Nike also presided over athletic as well as military contests. It was this meaning that prompted designer Jeff Johnson, the first man that US footwear entrepreneur
Phil Knight hired, to borrow her name for the company,
Nike, Inc., the clothing and sportswear manufacturer. Johnson had a dream about the goddess and Knight liked the idea.
An image of Nike appears in all
Summer Olympics medals. In 2004 for the
2004 Summer Olympics an image of the goddess appears in the
Panathinaikos Stadium. [http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/past/index_uk.asp?OLGT=1&OLGY=2004]
The
United States Army also borrowed her name for its
Project Nike surface-to-air missile programme.
Nike in Neopaganism
In modern
Neopaganism, particularly among ''Hellenistic'' Neopagan
sects in the
United States, Nike typically takes on the role as the ''Goddess of Fortune''. Also referred to as ''Lady Luck'' her favor is believed to be fickle and reserved for those who take risk. Though commonly favored by those who gamble Nike is thought to favor those who practice reason and moderation when taking risk, withdrawing her favor from those who become greedy and irresponsible. Nike is also thought by some sects to play a role in
magic (paranormal) magic, particularly in charms and spells that bring good fortune. Worship of Nike typically involves the burning of candles, oils, and incense.
{{Commonscat|Nike}}
Category:Greek goddesses
Category:War goddesses
bg:Ð?ике
da:Nike (mytologi)
de:Nike
es:Niké
fr:Niké
ko:니케
hr:Nika
it:Nike (mitologia)
he:× ×™×§×”
lt:NikÄ—
nl:Nikè (godin)
ja:ニケ
pl:Nike (mitologia)
ru:Ð?ика (мифологиÑ?)
sl:Nike
sr:Ð?ика Ñ?а Самотраке
fi:Nike
sv:Nike (mytologi)
tr:Nike (mitoloji)
uk:Ð?іке
zh:尼刻
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