mini bronze figurine of Nike goddess of achievement and success

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.

The olive was the trademark of Athena, multi-faceted goddess of wisdom, intelligence, strategic thought, and female crafts.

Athena defeated her uncle Poseidon in a contest which had been set up to establish which of them would become the protector deity of a hitherto unnamed city in Attica. Poseidon had offered the city a roaring saltwater spring, whereas Athena knelt on the Akropolis and planted a single olive tree, offering the citizens the gifts of oil, food, and light. Thereafter the city was named Athens. You can see an olive tree there today, next to the Erechtheion, the temple dedicated to the thwarted uncle and his shrewd niece.

The olive tree became a symbol of resilience. Herodotus wrote that it was assumed that when the Persians had sacked Athens and set fire to the Akropolis in 480 BCE, the sacred olive had been destroyed. Yet, the very next morning, a green shoot almost a meter long, had miraculously appeared! It became a powerful symbol of rebirth, renewal, and transformation, a reflection of the indomitable spirit of Athens and her citizens. Cuttings (moriai) from this tree, were then planted across Attica, so that every ancient Athenian olive-grove shared the DNA of the goddess’s original gift!

The olive appears on the famous Athenian owl tetradrachm coin, and is a recurrent motif in ancient Greek art, whenever Athena is depicted. Nike, the goddess of Victory, and a deity closely associated with Athena, is often depicted with an olive wreath, which she would place on the head of a victorious athlete.

The ultimate prize for champions at the ancient Olympic Games, held in honour of Zeus, was not gold, but a simple wreath woven from the wild olive (kotinos) —a tree said to have been ripped from the earth and planted at Olympia by Zeus' son, Herakles himself. The hero even fashioned his signature weapon, a mighty, unbreakable club, from raw wild olive wood.

Hephaistos would be amazed by the craftsmanship and quality of this wonderful collection!

These superb bronze pieces are cast in Greece using the traditional lost wax method. As nothing is mass-produced, there will inevitably be slight variations in texture, patina, and colour. No two pieces are ever the same. If mounted, the base is of black marble.

Please note that there may be a variation of some millimetres in the dimensions of the base from time to time, and that accessories such as spears, tridents or javelins may vary in length or height! If you need precise dimensions and weight, email me!

If you need a piece to fit a very specific space, or if you want me to take a photo of a couple of pieces so you can pick the one you want, I will do so with pleasure.

Every piece is deliciously tactile.

It's All Greek is so grateful and so proud to have been working closely with the Semitekolo family foundry since 1999. It has been a privilege and a joy to handle, live with, to photograph and describe these gorgeous pieces, before passing them on to passionate and grateful customers all over the world.

If you already own one of these pieces, cherish it!