Temple of Athena Nike ✨
The smallest temple on the Acropolis, dedicated to Athena as goddess of victory. This is where ancient Athenians prayed for success before battle and gave thanks when they returned.
What is the Temple of Athena Nike?
The Temple of Athena Nike is an ancient Greek sanctuary located on the southwest corner of the Acropolis, perched atop a steep bastion and dedicated to Athena in her role as goddess of victory. Completed around 420 BCE, this Ionic temple greeted every visitor ascending to the Acropolis – positioned so that victory would bless all who entered.
Despite its small size – just 8 meters long and 5.5 meters wide – the temple stands out through its refined design. Architect Kallikrates created a compact building constructed from white Pentelic marble, featuring monolithic columns and detailed friezes that demonstrate Greek craftsmanship at its best.
The temple once housed a wooden cult statue of Athena depicted without wings. Ancient Athenians called her Athena Apteros believing that by removing her wings, victory could never fly away from their city.
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The story of the Temple of Athena Nike
Earlier shrine on this site
A small shrine honoring Athena Nike existed here as early as the 6th century BCE, where Athenians sought the goddess’s blessing before military campaigns. Today, visitors with an Acropolis ticket can stand where ancient Athenians once prayed for victory. Archaeological evidence shows that the site was used for religious rituals during the Mycenaean era, with the Mycenaean bastion forming the fortified base for later temples. The cult of Athena Nike was operational in the early sixth century BC, with a cult image of Athena placed on a limestone base.
Construction
After the Persian defeat, Athenian leader Pericles commissioned a rebuilding of the Acropolis. The Temple of Athena Nike was part of this program, though construction didn’t begin until around 427 BCE – after Pericles’s death. Kallikrates, who had co-designed the Parthenon, received the commission.
The timing was significant. Athens was fighting the Peloponnesian War against Sparta, and a temple celebrating victory served both religious and political purposes. The temple was completed around 420 BCE.
Later history
Like its larger neighbors, the temple went through major changes. In the 5th century AD, the Temple of Athena Nike was converted into a Christian church. In 1686, Ottoman forces completely dismantled the entire structure to build gun fortifications – the temple’s stones became defensive walls.
After Greek independence, archaeologists recovered the scattered blocks and reconstructed the temple in 1834. Further restorations followed in the 1930s, and a comprehensive conservation project was completed in 2010.
Architecture of the Temple of Athena
Ionic style
While the Parthenon is Doric, the Temple of Athena Nike is Ionic - a more decorative style with slender columns. The temple is a small Ionic amphiprostyle structure, characteristic of Ionic buildings, with four monolithic columns on each short side. Its architectural style is defined by the use of side columns and other Ionic features, such as volutes and proportional ratios.
The proportions were calculated to complement rather than compete with the massive Doric Propylaea nearby. The contrast was intentional.
Dimensions
The temple measures approximately 8 meters long, 5.5 meters wide, and 7 meters high. It's the smallest temple on the Acropolis, but its elevated position on the bastion made it visible from across Athens. Visitors approaching the Acropolis would have seen it silhouetted against the sky.
The interior
The temple’s inner chamber housed the cult statue of Athena Nike. The wooden figure has long since disappeared, but ancient sources describe a goddess holding a pomegranate (symbol of fertility) in her right hand and a helmet in her left. Unlike typical Nike representations, this statue had no wings.
Sculptural program
The Friezes
The Athena Nike Temple, located on the Athenian Acropolis, is a prime example of a classical temple from ancient Greek civilization. A continuous Ionic sculpted frieze, a hallmark of classical temple design, wrapped around the temple exterior, with different scenes on each side.
The friezes include scenes such as the Battle of Marathon and are decorated in the idealized classical style of the 5th century BC. The south frieze specifically depicts the Greek victory over the Persians at the battle of Plataea.
The east frieze showed an assembly of Olympian gods, with Athena among Zeus, Poseidon, and other deities. The south frieze depicted the Greek victory at Plataea in 479 BCE. The north frieze showed cavalry battles, possibly referencing conflicts with neighboring city-states.
The Parapet
Around 410 BCE, a marble parapet was added around the bastion as a safety barrier. The parapet features relief sculptures of Nike in various poses, celebrating victory and sacrifice - leading sacrificial bulls, erecting trophies, adjusting their sandals.
The central akroteria of the parapet may have represented a winged victory, a flying Nike, a commemorative trophy, or a bronze tripod, each symbolizing victory and divine presence in Greek culture.
Nike Adjusting Her Sandal
One relief became particularly famous: Nike loosening or removing her sandal. Her transparent drapery clings to her body, demonstrating the sculptor’s skill with fabric in stone.
The relief may reference the custom of removing shoes before entering sacred space. The original is now in the Acropolis Museum, where visitors can see details that aren’t visible at the original height.
Athena Nike: The goddess of victory
Different aspects of Athena
Athena had many titles reflecting different roles. The goddess Athena, one of the Olympian gods, was central to Greek mythology as a symbol of wisdom, warfare, and the protection of cities. As Athena Parthenos, she was the virgin protector of Athens. As Athena Promachos, she led warriors into battle. As Athena Ergane, she patronized craftspeople.
As Athena Nike, she embodied victory – not just military conquest but success in athletics, legal disputes, political debates, and other competitions. The sanctuary of Athena Nike was also notable as the site of the first democratic priesthood in Athens, where the Priestess was chosen by lot from Athenian women.
Nike as a separate goddess
Nike existed independently as a goddess personifying victory. In Greek mythology and art, she is often referred to as ‘winged victory,’ symbolizing the personification of triumph. Artists typically depicted her as a winged woman capable of flying to wherever victory was needed. Her most famous representation shows her landing on a ship’s prow with wings spread.
In the Temple of Athena Nike, however, the statue had no wings. The Athenians explained this by saying they wanted to ensure victory could never fly away from their city.
Combined worship
Over time, Athena and Nike’s identities merged in Athenian worship. The Temple of Athena Nike honored both aspects – Athena’s wisdom and protection combined with Nike’s promise of success. The cult statue inside the temple depicted ‘wingless victory’, symbolizing that victory would never leave Athens.
Frequently asked questions
01 What is the Temple of Athena Nike?
The Athena Nike Temple is an ancient Greek temple located on the Athenian Acropolis, dedicated to Athena as goddess of victory. Built around 420 BCE by architect Kallikrates, this small Ionic structure stands on a bastion overlooking the approach to the Acropolis.
The temple once housed a wingless statue of Athena, symbolizing victory that would never leave Athens. It is often referred to as the ‘pearl of the Acropolis’ due to its architectural elegance and beauty.
02 Why was the Temple of Athena Nike built?
To honor Athena in her role as bringer of victory and to commemorate Greek triumphs over Persia. Construction occurred during the Peloponnesian War, making the temple both a religious sanctuary and a patriotic statement. Athenians sought the goddess’s blessing here before military campaigns.
03 How old is the Temple of Athena Nike?
About 2,445 years old, completed around 420 BCE. A sacred shrine existed on this location since the 6th century BCE. The new temple, as seen today, has been reconstructed multiple times, most recently in 2010, using primarily original ancient building material.
04 What is the difference between the Temple of Athena Nike and the Parthenon?
Both honor Athena but differ in size, style, and purpose. The Temple of Nike is small (8 meters long) and Ionic, dedicated to Athena as victory goddess. The Parthenon is large (69 meters long) and Doric, dedicated to Athena Parthenos as city protector.
The Temple of Nike stands on a bastion; the Parthenon is on the main plateau. Compared to other Greek temples, the Temple of Athena Nike is noted for its compact size, elegant proportions, and unique sculptural decoration.
05 Can you go inside the Temple of Athena Nike?
06 What does Nike mean in Temple of Athena Nike?
Nike means “victory” in ancient Greek. The goddess Nike personified triumph in battle, athletics, and competition. The wingless cult statue was called Athena Apteros, believed to ensure victory would stay in Athens.
07 What happened to the Temple of Athena Nike?
08 What sculptures decorated the Temple of Nike?
Three major sculptural programs: a continuous Ionic frieze depicting divine assemblies and battle scenes, pediment sculptures (now largely lost), and a marble parapet added around 410 BCE with relief carvings of winged Nike figures.
Significant sculptural decoration was found on the north and south sides, the southern wall, and the eastern side of the temple, with the east and west fronts marking its orientation on the Acropolis. The most famous relief, Nike Adjusting Her Sandal, is in the Acropolis Museum.