Unchanged by any teller — how the centuries since have seen Nike.
The gallery
The Winged Victory of Samothrace (Nike of Samothrace)
Unknown (Hellenistic Greek), c. 200–190 BC
Carved from Parian marble around 200–190 BC, this monumental statue shows Nike, goddess of victory, alighting on the prow of a warship, her great wings still spread and her wind-whipped chiton plastered against her surging body — the very image of triumph descending. Discovered in 1863 in the Sanctuary of the Great Gods on the Aegean island of Samothrace, it was likely a thank-offering for a naval victory. The dramatic forward lean, the spiraling drapery and the sense of rushing air make it the supreme surviving embodiment of Nike as the divine personification of victory, the swift winged daughter of the Titan Pallas and the Oceanid Styx who, in Hesiod's Theogony, stood beside Zeus in his war against the Titans. It is now one of the most celebrated treasures of the Musée du Louvre, Paris (Ma 2369).
The Nike of Paeonius
Paeonius of Mende, c. 425–420 BC
This Classical marble statue, signed by the sculptor Paeonius of Mende, was dedicated by the Messenians and Naupactians at Olympia around 420 BC to commemorate a victory, probably over Sparta in the Peloponnesian War. The goddess Nike is shown descending from the sky, her drapery billowing back in the rushing wind as she sweeps down on a triangular pillar, an eagle of Zeus beneath her feet to signify her flight through the heavens. Though her face and wings are lost, the wind-blown chiton and the buoyant, forward-leaning pose perfectly capture Nike as victory made flesh, swooping earthward to crown the victors. Now in the Archaeological Museum of Olympia.
Red-Figure Lekythos with Nike Holding a Band
Painter of London E 342 (Attic), c. 470–460 BC
On this Attic red-figure lekythos attributed to the Painter of London E 342, the winged goddess Nike strides forward in a long flowing chiton, holding out a fillet (woolen band) of the kind tied around a victor's head — the tangible token of triumph she bestows. Vase-painters of Classical Athens frequently showed Nike in motion, hurrying with wreaths, ribbons or libation vessels to honor winners of games and battles, making her the constant attendant of victory. The vessel is now in the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore (inv. 48.254).
In play
Nike, Inc.
Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight
The Oregon sportswear giant took the goddess of victory as its name — and a swoosh that reads as a wing — making Nike one of the few Olympian names worn daily worldwide.
Victory
English victory and Latin victoria descend from the same idea Nike personified — the winged woman who lands on the winner is still the ordinary word for winning.