Alexander the Great, Athena with Nike coin earrings

Athena, daughter of Zeus, was the goddess of intelligence, wisdom, resourcefulness and strategic thought. She was also the protectress of women and of female crafts such as weaving.

Zeus discovered that Metis, the goddess of intelligence, was pregnant with his child. Fearing that the child would be superior to him, he turned Metis into a fly, and swallowed her. Nine months later, Zeus had a terrible migraine and summoned his son Hephaistos, who promptly took his double-axe, cut open Zeus' head, and out popped baby Athena. Zeus' brainchild. Fully formed in miniature, and armed for combat, with her helmet, shield, and spear. With her father, she later shared the aegis, the snake-fringed cloak with the image of the head of Medusa in its centre, after Athena had helped Jason to decapitate her.

Following a contest with her uncle, Poseidon, she became the patron goddess of Athens, to which she gave her name and the gift of the olive. Athena (also Athene) favoured the heroes Herakles, Jason, Achilles, Perseus and Odysseus, and was associated with Nike, the winged goddess of achievement and victory.

Her symbols are the owl and the olive.

Nike, winged goddess of victory and achievement, both in war and in peaceful competition. She is also the goddess of speed and strength. Her Roman equivalent is Victoria. She was daughter of Pallas and the river Styx, and the grand-daughter of Okeanos (Ocean). Her siblings were Zelos (Rivalry), Kratos (Strength) and Bia (Force). She had no husband and no children.

Her close connection with Zeus and Athena (sometimes she even holds an owl, Athena's attribute) is reflected in sculpture and on coins, and she is often depicted holding an olive wreath which she will place on the head of a victor. The sports company takes its name and logo from her.

Nike represents the archetype of the virgin goddess: free of any expectation to bear children, and therefore having the freedom to excel in other ways.

It has been a privilege to work with the Vaphiadis family since 2007. They are one of the best manufacturers of sterling silver jewellery in Greece.

The collection is inspired by ancient Greek silver and gold coins, the art and jewellery of the Minoan civilisation, familiar symbolic motifs and images, and the animals that played a significant part in ancient Greek culture.

Due to the tragic, sudden death in early 2025 of Ioannis Vaphiadis, who made all this beautiful jewellery, the family's jewellery production has ceased.

This is all the remaining stock that I have. Ioannis was only in his late 50s, was such a lovely man and a dear friend.

I was so lucky to work closely with him for 19 years.If you already have a piece of his jewellery, cherish it.

Strategist, visionary, and conqueror, Alexander III of Macedon reshaped the ancient world not merely through conquest, but through a visionary blueprint for a globalized civilization. He died at 32, so his achievements are even ore phenomenol.

Succeeding his father, Philip II, in 336 BCE, his career quickly transcended the boundaries of traditional Greek statehood to forge a legacy of cultural synthesis and intellectual expansion.

One of his greatest achievements was to realise the concept of homonoia (harmony), an ambitious policy aimed at fusing Western and Eastern cultures. Rather than imposing a strict Greek hegemony over the fallen Achaemenid Empire, Alexander chose to integrate Persian nobility into his administrative apparatus, adopted local court dress, and respected indigenous religious practices, famously sacrificing to the Egyptian god Ammon.

Alexander was also a monumental agent of urbanisation and intellectual progress. He founded over 70 cities bearing his name, most notably Alexandria in Egypt. These hubs were not mere military outposts; they were sophisticated cultural hubs equipped with theatres, gymnasia, and marketplaces. By establishing these centres, he created an interconnected commercial network that stretched from the Mediterranean to the Indus River, facilitating an unprecedented exchange of goods, languages, and ideas.

Alexander also operated as an enthusiastic patron of science. He took with him on his campaigns geographers, botanists, and historians, mapping uncharted territories and collecting scientific data that enriched the broader global consciousness.

Though his life ended prematurely in 323 BCE, his enduring achievement was launching the Hellenistic Age. He successfully dismantled the insular city-state model, replacing it with a cosmopolitan world where Greek culture, language, and thought were interwoven with Eastern traditions, setting the foundations of centuries of global history.