The Romans knew her as Victoria, a name that obviously means "victory", and is still popular today. For the swoosh symbol that appears on the side of each Nike shoe, Nike employee Carolyn Davis was paid $35 for the design. Regardless of whether it is 2017 or 250BC, mankind has equated success and triumph with being regarded as #1 in some pursuit whether it be a sport or in our career. She was the daughter of the Titan Pallas and the goddess Styx, sister of Kratos (power), Bia (Force) and Zelus (zeal). One is estimated to be 29 feet tall. [4]. She appears with Zeus on statues in places such as the Temple of Zeus in Attica and on the west portico of the Temple of Athena in Athens. Her Roman name was known as Victoria (Gr: Νικη) (see Roman Mythology for more information), which of course translated to "victory". The swoosh concept was actually derived from the wings of the Greek goddess of victory named Nike. https://greekmythology.wikia.org/wiki/Nike?oldid=78706. Nike was the goddess of victory in Greek mythology, depicted as having wings, hence her alternative name "Winged Goddess". Nike (Greek mythology) is the Greek goddess of victory, both in battle and in sport. Nike flew around battlefields rewarding the victors with glory and fame, symbolized by a wreath of laurel leaves (bay leaves). She is often seen seated beside Zeus on Mount Olympus. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.), "Zeitschrift für vergleichende Sprachforschung auf dem Gebiete der Indogermanischen Sprachen: Ergänzungshefte", https://www.theoi.com/Olympios/AresAttendants.html, "How Nike almost ended up with a very different name", Winner's medal for the 1948 Olympic Games in London, "The Honda logotype | The Honda Trials History", A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, Online version at the Perseus Digital Library, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nike_(mythology)&oldid=986111804, Articles having different image on Wikidata and Wikipedia, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Articles containing Lithuanian-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2018, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, The obverse of Saint-Gaudens' 1907 United States, This page was last edited on 29 October 2020, at 21:23. Also known as Winged Goddess, Nike is most often pictured as having wings. Nike is often shown with plenty of accessories to help crown or announce the victor. [citation needed]. Nike’s name means Victory, and the Roman equivalent of Nike was Victoria. She is the daughter of Styx and Pallas. [1] Others have connected it to Proto-Indo-European *neik- (“to attack, start vehemently”) making it cognate with Ancient Greek: νεῖκος (neîkos, "strife") and Lithuanian: ap-ni̇̀kti ("to attack"). Enemies Her Roman equivalent was Victoria. Usually Nike is depicted either with Zeus, with Athena or alone. Since 1928, the Olympics Medal has sported Nike on the obverse side bearing her wreath of victory and the shield upon which the victor’s name is inscribed. Nike and her three other siblings, were the four Winged Enforcers of Zeus. Nike. The word νίκη (nikē) is of uncertain etymology. Nike: GreekMythology.com - Nov 26, 2020, Greek Mythology iOS Volume Purchase Program VPP for Education App. Styx (mother)Pallas (father) Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Her Roman name was known as Victoria (Gr: Νικη) (see Roman Mythology for more information), which of course translated to "victory". Once the great Titanomachy broke out, Zeus promised all deities who fight alongside him would be rewarded. She is the daughter of Styx and Pallas. Nike and her three other siblings, were the four Winged Enforcers of Zeus. A reminder that the Goddess of Victory is ready to crown a victor, be they man or god, at any given time. 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 … She was the daughter of the Titan Pallas and the goddess Styx, sister of Kratos (power), Bia (Force) and Zelus (zeal). Nike is a brand of sport shoes that has a simple ‘swoosh’ design on its logo. 4 (trans. Nike was one of four children of the Titan god of war Pallas, and the Naiad Styx (not to … General Information She is also known as the Winged Goddess, due to many depictions of her show her having wings. However, he also threatened threaten that those who opposed the battle would lose their power and position on Mount Olympus. Thirty per cent of sports footwear sales belong to Nike. Nike and her three sisters, Zelus (Zeal/power), Bic(Force) and Kralas (Strength) were brought by Styx to Zeus to assist him in the great Titan battle whose ultimate goal was to gain control of Mount Olympus.