Nike, the mythological goddess of sport and her reflections on the present day

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine Nike, known as the mythological goddess of sport, and her reflections on the present. A literature search was carried out. In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Nike was the goddess of victory in all areas, including art, music, war and sport. Nike is the winged goddess of victory, speed, and strength who can race and fly with great speed. Although Nike is one of the oldest ancient Greek goddesses and preceded even the most powerful Olympians, she is barely mentioned in the mythologies. Nevertheless, Nike, mythologized as a Greek goddess in antiquity, was influential throughout history in nations associated with Greek civilization. Nike's counterpart in the Roman Empire is Victoria. Nike is a deity in religious terms, a hero in wars, a symbol of victory in sporting competitions, a female figure in terms of gender, a symbol of the Olympic Games and, more recently, in the sports market as the brand of Nike shoes and all the products it manufactures. Furthermore, Nike's influence goes beyond mythology and manifests itself in various forms of art and architecture. One of the most famous representations of Nike, for example, is the winged Victory of Samothrace. Since the 1896 Olympics, Nike has been at the center of the modern revival of the games and can be seen in one way or another on every medal awarded to the world's most successful female athletes.