Greek Nike vs Roman Victoria: Goddesses of Victory Personified

Both the Greeks and Romans had goddesses of victory personified, called Nike by the Greeks and Victoria by the Romans. While they are often described as one and the same goddess, and shared a mythology since the Romans were in the habit of applying Greek myths to their own gods, they had quite different roles in Greek and Roman society.

The Greeks, who valued art and competition, principally considered Nike as a patron of athletes and artists. It was only later that she became associated with victory in war, and in these cases, she was bestowed by a greater god, such as Zeus or Athena, rather than being the active deity of success.

While Nike probably influenced the emergence of Victoria in the Roman world, she was a much more important goddess to the militaristic Romans who had a “might is right” attitude and considered it their destiny to bring most of the world under Rome’s civilizing influence. While Victoria was also bestowed by greater gods, such as Jupiter and Mars, she was such an important concept among the Romans that Victoria enjoyed prominence in her own right.

Nike in Greek Mythology

According to the history of Greek mythology recounted in Hesiod’s Theogony, Nike was the daughter of Styx, the Titan goddess of the river Styx and divine oaths, and Pallas, a Titan god of battle and warcraft. Nike, the embodiment of victory, had three siblings, Zelus (Glory), Kratos (Strength), and Bia (Force).

When Zeus began his war against his Titan father Cronos and his allies, he summoned all the gods to Olympus to request their help. He said that he would retain the positions and domains of everyone currently in Cronos’ universal organization, and would find appropriate positions for anyone who joined him who did not already have one. Styx was reportedly the first to join Zeus following the advice of her father Oceanus. Zeus rewarded her by making her the goddess of oaths sworn by the gods, and adopting her children as servants to live with him on Mount Olympus. Therefore, Nike became a servant of Zeus.

Nike and the other Greek Gods

Other stories exist about her origins. One of the Homeric Hymns describes her as a daughter of Ares. Other traditions suggest that she was originally an aspect of the goddess Athena, and then broke away to become a goddess in her own right. This seems unlikely because Nike was always depicted as winged, which was never a characteristic of Athena. But since Athena was so closely associated with military achievement, it is natural that she would have a close connection with Nike.

Nike is not a prominent figure in Greek mythology and does not appear at all in Homer’s epics. After passing mentions in Hesiod and the Homeric hymns in the 8^th/7^th centuries BCE, she does not really feature in Greek literature until Nonnos’ Dionysiaca, a poem in Homeric dialect written in the 5^th century CE. It seems clear that Nonnos’ Nike is influenced by the Roman Victoria.

Nonnos describes Athena sending Noe to Zeus as an emissary to aid him in his battle against the monster Typhon. Originally approaching him in the form of Leto, she reproaches him for being reticent to confront Typhon. She describes how all the gods have fled Olympus and implores him to take up his thunderbolts and confront the beast. Nike then carries him into battle, uses her shield to protect him, and brings him home in triumph.

Domain of Nike

Images of Nike suggest that she was originally associated more with victory in competition than victory in war, as she is usually depicted granting victory in athletics or even poetry. The association with victory in war seems to have come later, starting in Athens who came to associate Nike with Athena following their success against the Persians in the 5^th century BCE. She was later depicted on coins of Alexander the Great as a symbol of his conquests. In most cases, she was depicted as a smaller figure in the hands of a larger god, such as Zeus or Athena, suggesting that she was the prize, but she was bestowed as a greater deity.

But it was really with Roman influence that Nike grew in popularity due to her association with the Roman goddess Victoria.

Roman Victory

Just like Nike, Victoria was the personification of victory, and she was one of many personifications included in Roman religion. There was also Concordia, Justicia, Peitas, and more. The Romans, who strongly believed that the success of their state depended on the favor of the gods, invented these personifications to ensure they were honoring the numinous forces.

Some sources suggest that Victoria was adopted from the Sabine goddess Vacuna, but this seems difficult to verify. While she was an ancient war goddess, she influenced several Roman deities, including Minerva and Venus.

Victoria does not seem to ever have had a unique complex Roman mythology, but Nonnus’ text suggests that they were happy to apply Nike’s to the goddess.

Emergence of Victoria

Victoria first appeared in the Roman world following the First Punic War in the 3^rd century BCE, probably inspired by the Nie honored by their Greek allies in the war. She seems to have been conceived of in the same way, as something granted by the greater gods, as many of them received the epithets “victor” or “Invictus” to signal this power.

In 294 BCE, Victoria was given her own temple on the Palatine Hill and this became a place to dedicate war booty, along with other temples, such as that of Mars Ultor dedicated by Augustus. Several more temples and altars were dedicated to Victoria over the centuries of Rome’s military expansion. In fact, when the 4^th century CE emperor Gratian removed her statue in the now-Christian Empire, he was met with great opposition from the public and she was still considered highly meaningful to the militaristic Romans.

Victoria often appeared on Roman coinage as a symbol of military victory. Her image seems to have been based on her cult statue. She was a winged woman standing on top of a globe and holding up a wreath or palm branch, which were considered symbols of triumph. She often appears held in the hand of a greater god, such as Jupiter, Mars, or Roma, herself the divine personification of the Roman state. She could also appear in a chariot.

Imperial Victory

The cult of Victoria developed in an interesting way when Rome moved from a Republic to an Empire, as it was no longer just something bestowed by the gods, it could also be bestowed by the emperor.

Augustus, when he was still known as Octavian, dedicated an altar of Victoria in the Roman Senate house in 29 BCE to commemorate the defeat of Antony and Cleopatra, who were represented as threatening Rome’s status with their eastern decadence. Augustus then minted many coins featuring Victoria.

But things would progress when later emperors started minting coins with the image of Victoria and the legend “VICTORIA AUGUSTI” suggesting that it was the emperor, the Augustus, who bestowed victory, just as Jupiter of Mars had done previously. This seems to have begun during the reign of Nero in the 50s-60s CE.

This imagery is taken to a new level on the Arch of Titus, dedicated in the early 80s CE for his victory of Judea in 71 CE. The triumphant Titus appears in his chariot in a Roman triumphal procession, and Victoria stands in the chariot behind him with her hand on his shoulder, placing the emperor and the goddess on the same level.