The ancient Greek goddess Nike was the personification of the ideal of victory. Such personifications of ideal terms were common in ancient Greek culture; other examples include Wisdom, Knowledge, and Justice. Unlike other gods in the Greek pantheon, such personifying deities were not usually given human personalities and histories. For this reason, little is said about Nike in Greek culture beyond that her mother was Styx (daughter of Ocean) and her father was Pallas, the Titan. She had three sisters, also personified deities: Zelus (Rivalry), Cratos (Supremacy), and Bia (Force) who, with Nike, were always seated by mighty Zeus on Mt. Olympus.
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Definition
Timeline
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c. 550 BCEOldest surviving sculpture of a winged Nike found on Delos.
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490 BCE - 480 BCEA 1.4 m (4 ft 7 in) tall Iris or Nike sculpture is erected on the Acropolis of Athens in memory of the general Kallimachos, killed in the Battle of Marathon.
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438 BCEThe cult statue of Athena Parthenos is dedicated in the Parthenon of Athens.
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c. 430 BCEThe cult statue of Zeus by Phidias is dedicated in the Temple of Zeus, Olympia. It is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
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c. 425 BCE - c. 420 BCEThe Temple dedicated to Athena Nike is constructed on the acropolis of Athens.
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424 BCE - 420 BCEThe Nike of Paionios is erected at Olympia to commemorate the Messenian and Naupaktian victory over Sparta at the battle of Sphakteria.
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c. 190 BCEThe Nike of Samothrace is dedicated on the island to commemorate a naval victory.