Translated by Catherine Proppe, November 30, 2016
33. Νίκης, θυμίαμα μάνναν.
To Nike, Goddess of Victory
Divine medium: manna
Εὐδύνατον καλέω Νίκην, θνητοῖσι ποθεινήν,
Great power, I call, Nike, for whom mortals yearn.
ἣ μούνη λύει θνητῶν ἐναγώνιον ὁρμὴν
She alone liberates humans in the agony of assault
καὶ στάσιν ἀλγινόεσσαν ἐπ' ἀντιπάλοισι μάχαισιν,
And holds fast despite grievous pain in combat’s throes.
ἐν πολέμοις κρίνουσα τροπαιούχοισιν ἐπ' ἔργοις,
In war She decides the turning point of battle,
οἷς ἂν ἐφορμαίνουσα φέροις γλυκερώτατον εὖχος·
Raising arrows, rousing attack, bearing sweet beseeching prayers.
πάντων γὰρ κρατέεις, πάσης δ' ἔριδος κλέος ἐσθλὸν
Conqueror of all, all of strife’s famed goodness,
Νίκηι ἐπ' εὐδόξωι κεῖται θαλίαισι βρυάζον.
Upon Nike’s great virtue lies the path to teeming abundance and good cheer.
ἀλλά, μάκαιρ', ἔλθοις πεποθημένη ὄμματι φαιδρῶι
Now, blessed one, come, longed for divine power, look brightly upon us,
αἰεὶ ἐπ' εὐδόξοις ἔργοις τέλος ἐσθλὸν ἄγουσα.
Eternally shine upon these honorable good works completed and well led.
NOTES
Nike (Νίκη) is the immortal Goddess of victory who prevails over the tipping point in a battle or contest, literally “tipping-point of (Ν) + divine-power (ί) + core/seed (κ) + center (η) + ς.” Nike is closely associated with the Athena (Ἀθήνη, Ἀθἀνα), the Goddess of immortality (ἀθᾰνᾰτος), due to the eternal renown achieved by great victors.
Her sister is Bia (Βία), Goddess of force.[1]
Nike is almost always depicted as having wings.
The Louvre Museum in Paris has two statues of winged Nike from Myrina (Turkey) that date circa 350-50 BCE and circa 180 BCE. The British Museum displays magnificent gold earrings with Nike figures from Kyme (Turkey) circa 332-300 BCE. A coin from Sicily circa 415-405 BCE has an image of Camarina on one side and a flying Nike on the obverse (Royal Numismatic Society #9, London.) The Georgian National Museum holds a winged Nike statue circa 150-100 BCE found in Vani, Georgia (25 miles southwest of Coclchis). An image of Nike appears in the ruins of Ephesus (Turkey).[2]
Agon (Ἀγών) is the immortal God of the contest, the basis for the word “agony.”[3]
[1] Schmitz, L. (1870). NICE (Νίκη). In W. Smith (Ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (Vol. 2, p. 1178). Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike_(mythology)#/media/File:Goddess_Nike_at_Ephesus,_Turkey.JPG
See http://www.theoi.com/Daimon/Nike.html for more images of winged Nike.
[3] Pausanias 5.26.3.
33. Νίκης, θυμίαμα μάνναν.
To Nike, Goddess of Victory
Divine medium: manna
Εὐδύνατον καλέω Νίκην, θνητοῖσι ποθεινήν,
Great power, I call, Nike, for whom mortals yearn.
ἣ μούνη λύει θνητῶν ἐναγώνιον ὁρμὴν
She alone liberates humans in the agony of assault
καὶ στάσιν ἀλγινόεσσαν ἐπ' ἀντιπάλοισι μάχαισιν,
And holds fast despite grievous pain in combat’s throes.
ἐν πολέμοις κρίνουσα τροπαιούχοισιν ἐπ' ἔργοις,
In war She decides the turning point of battle,
οἷς ἂν ἐφορμαίνουσα φέροις γλυκερώτατον εὖχος·
Raising arrows, rousing attack, bearing sweet beseeching prayers.
πάντων γὰρ κρατέεις, πάσης δ' ἔριδος κλέος ἐσθλὸν
Conqueror of all, all of strife’s famed goodness,
Νίκηι ἐπ' εὐδόξωι κεῖται θαλίαισι βρυάζον.
Upon Nike’s great virtue lies the path to teeming abundance and good cheer.
ἀλλά, μάκαιρ', ἔλθοις πεποθημένη ὄμματι φαιδρῶι
Now, blessed one, come, longed for divine power, look brightly upon us,
αἰεὶ ἐπ' εὐδόξοις ἔργοις τέλος ἐσθλὸν ἄγουσα.
Eternally shine upon these honorable good works completed and well led.
NOTES
Nike (Νίκη) is the immortal Goddess of victory who prevails over the tipping point in a battle or contest, literally “tipping-point of (Ν) + divine-power (ί) + core/seed (κ) + center (η) + ς.” Nike is closely associated with the Athena (Ἀθήνη, Ἀθἀνα), the Goddess of immortality (ἀθᾰνᾰτος), due to the eternal renown achieved by great victors.
Her sister is Bia (Βία), Goddess of force.[1]
Nike is almost always depicted as having wings.
The Louvre Museum in Paris has two statues of winged Nike from Myrina (Turkey) that date circa 350-50 BCE and circa 180 BCE. The British Museum displays magnificent gold earrings with Nike figures from Kyme (Turkey) circa 332-300 BCE. A coin from Sicily circa 415-405 BCE has an image of Camarina on one side and a flying Nike on the obverse (Royal Numismatic Society #9, London.) The Georgian National Museum holds a winged Nike statue circa 150-100 BCE found in Vani, Georgia (25 miles southwest of Coclchis). An image of Nike appears in the ruins of Ephesus (Turkey).[2]
Agon (Ἀγών) is the immortal God of the contest, the basis for the word “agony.”[3]
[1] Schmitz, L. (1870). NICE (Νίκη). In W. Smith (Ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (Vol. 2, p. 1178). Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike_(mythology)#/media/File:Goddess_Nike_at_Ephesus,_Turkey.JPG
See http://www.theoi.com/Daimon/Nike.html for more images of winged Nike.
[3] Pausanias 5.26.3.
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