Ephesus - The Aegean Coast - Cities and Towns in Turkey - Turkey - Home
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Nike, the Goddess of Victory |
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| Located along one of the most important streets,
Curetes Street, which derived its name from the Curetes (priests), who
guarded the sacred fire of the hestia (hearth) in the prytaneion, you
will come upon a relief representing Nike, the Goddess of Victory. Many
nice inscriptions and reliefs may be seen along the street. In this
relief, Nike is shown with a wreath in her left hand and a spike in the
right. The street was named for the Curetes, a college of priests
attached to the service of Artemis. Walking through any an ancient city such as Ephesus, you often encounter a plethora of monuments, inscriptions and statues on a scale not familiar to a modern person who is used to sky-scrapers and plain old pavement. Among these were dedications to Roman imperial authorities, such as an emperor or a governor, and monuments erected by or for local notables in the city. There were also many buildings and monuments relating to the gods at Ephesus. |
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| In Greek mythology Nike is
called the Goddess of Victory. She came before the Olympians and is the
emblem of the Olympic games. She is the daughter of the giant Pallas and
the river Goddess Styx. She was sent to fight on the side of Zeus in his
battle against the Titans.
At first she was connected to Athena, who was known as the dispenser of victory. Later on she is detached from her. In illustrations Athena and Zeus can be seen carrying small figures of Nike showing her connection with both mythological pagan gods. When Nike is seen with Athena she is always wingless, pictured alone she has wings. Nike is also seen carrying a wreath, palm branch, or a caduceus of Hermes. In many works of art she is seen with the outstretched wings of the winner of a competition. Nike was later recognized as a medium of achievement between men and gods in battle and in other human endeavors. |
CLICK HERE for
additional photos of Ephesus
and
HERE for photos of some of the intricate
detail work to be found in Ephesus.
| It is best to visit Ephesus with a good
guide - especially if it is your first visit. Although there are many licensed,
official tour guides, I believe that Can (John) Yigit is one of the best. One of
the main reasons is, not only does he love this place, but he worked here beside
the archeologists when he was in college. And, is very personable. His English
is excellent and he makes the place come alive with his narrative. Contact
information is as follows: Can Yigit Gsm +90 532. 426 63 35 Tel +90 256. 612 83 30 email: guidecan68@yahoo.com P.O. Box 152 09400 Kusadasi / Aydin / Turkey Here
are a couple of comments about John. |
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