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Showing posts with the label international day for monuments and sites

18 April - International Day for Monuments and Sites - Theme 2016

Stone carving of goddess Nike at Ephesus Till we saw this stone carving among the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus, we were unaware of the significance of the name "Nike". (Ephesus, 2006) Nike , in  ancient Greek religion , was a  goddess  who personified  victory , also known as the Winged Goddess of Victory.  The Roman equivalent was  Victoria . Depending upon the time of various myths, she was described as the daughter of the  Titan   Pallas  and the goddess  Styx , and the sister of  Kratos  (Strength),  Bia  (Force), and  Zelus  (Zeal).  Nike and her siblings were close companions of  Zeus , the dominant deity of the  Greek pantheon . According to classical (later) myth, Styx brought them to Zeus when the god was assembling allies for the  Titan War  against the older deities. Nike assumed the role of the divine  charioteer , a role in which she often is portrayed in Classical Greek art. Nike flew around battlefields rewarding the victors with glory and f