Is Athena and Athena Nike the same?

Athena was patron deity of Athens and Nike was the goddess of victory often associated so closely with her that the two became synchronized as Athena Nike (“Athena of Victory”).

What does the Temple of Athena Nike represent?

As the name suggests, the temple housed the statue of Athena Nike, a symbol of victory. It probably had a connection to the victory of the Greeks against the Persians around half a century earlier.

Is the Temple of Athena Nike still standing?

In 1834 the temple was reconstructed after the independence of Greece. In 1998 the temple was dismantled so that the crumbling concrete floor could be replaced and its frieze was removed and placed in the new Acropolis Museum that opened in 2009. The Temple of Athena Nike is often closed to visitors as work continues.

How was the Temple of Athena Nike destroyed?

Much later in its history in 1687, during Ottoman occupation the temple of Athena Nike was dismantled when the “Venetians” besieged the Turks at the Acropolis. The Turks used the stones from the temple to build a bastion next to the Propylaia.

What is significant about the frieze on the Temple of Athena Nike?

The south frieze of the Temple of Athena Nike most probably depicts the Greeks’ victorious battle against the Persians at Marathon in 490 BC, where the Athenians played a leading role.

Who destroyed the original temple of Athena?

In the 5th century C.E. the temple was converted into a Christian church, then in the 17th century it was completely dismantled by the Ottoman Turks who needed its material to build fortifications.

What Nike means in Greek?

the Greek goddess of victory
Definition of Nike : the Greek goddess of victory.

What does Nike adjusting her sandal represent?

Having survived the horrors of war, Nike – the goddess of victory – can afford to leisurely adjust her sandal. Though her face has been lost to the ages, we can infer from her body position and the sensuality of her figure that she is calm, unthreatened, and secure in her place as guardian of Athens’s dominance.