Nike: The Origins and History of the Greek Goddess of Victory Kindle Edition

"Nike: The Origins and History of the Greek Goddess of Victory", looks at the story of the legendary deity and the various roles she played in Greek mythology. The ancient Greeks used myths to helped crystallize beliefs and fashion a means of observing and categorizing patterns in daily life. Hesiod's "Theogony" and Homer's "Illiad" and "Odyssey" are the primary sources for our understanding of Greek Mythology. Hesiod' provides us with the Greek's creation mythos as well as a complete description of the origin and genealogy of the immortal beings that populated the Greek's mythic universe. These sources provide the reader with a view of the Greek thought, their spirtuality, and their continuing efforts to both try to understand the mysteries of nature and their desire to understand and live in harmony with the forces around them. The meaning of her name. "Nike" is used to refer to the abstract concept of victory in its many forms in the works of Homer, Sophocles, Plato, and Xenophon. Victories in wars and in athletic competitions are invariably Nike’s most predominant manifestations. In the historical record, and as such, her appearances in myth as a goddess whose actions took place within the society of the Pantheon are numerous, though mostly silent. Yet it is how the ancients interactions with this goddess that are most fascinating. The sculpture and the songs, the bas-reliefs and coins, all pay homage to Nike the goddess more intimately than the mere use of her image as a placeholder for "a glorious memory." When viewed in the context of a conversation, the appearance of Nike in the historical and archaeological records give the modern reader a tantalizing view inside the psyche of the ancient Greeks. This is the gift from Nike’s that continues to bear fruit.This was an excellent book, that is a must read for readers seeking knowledge about Greek Mythology. Understanding the religion and its place in the daily life of a people can go a long way towards understanding the civilization and culture of the people. This book provides one of the absolutely best descriptions and analysis of "Theoguny" as it relates to the Greek creation myth, as well as the origan of the numerous imortals, their powers, responsibilites, interrelationships, and their place in the Greek's understanding of the mysteries of the Greek's mythology (religious constuct and their understanding of the natural world. The description of Nike's importance in everyday life was also exceptionally well done. I really enjoy the study and understanding of Greco-Roman and Norse Mythology and have read numerous texts on the subject. However, many readers may find it to be esoteric and mundane. In spite of this give this book a chance, it may surprise!!

This book really opens your mind to how much more Nike was to her people than just winning the Olympics. She was an integral part of their life, in battle, writing, everything.

It works for my nephew!

The authors at Charles River Editors do an excellent job producing many subjects and this read is very well done too.

A short but very detailed book on the goddess Nike. There isn't a lot about her, let alone a book devoted just to her, but I had to have this book to learn more about this goddess. I learned a lot from reading this book, along with reading articles from Google and other books. I recommend this book if you want to learn more about the goddess Nike.