Translated by Catherine Proppe, February 15, 2016
33. Νίκης, θυμίαμα μάνναν.
To Nike, Goddess of Victory
Divine connection: manna
Εὐδύνατον καλέω Νίκην, θνητοῖσι ποθεινήν,
Great power, I call, Nike[1], for whom mortals yearn.
ἣ μούνη λύει θνητῶν ἐναγώνιον ὁρμὴν
She alone liberates humans in the agony[2] 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 questions and 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.
[1] Nike 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), likely due to the eternal renown of achieved by great victors.
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). 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.
It is worth observing that the Egyptian Goddess Isis is often depicted as winged.
[2] Agon (Ἀγών) is the personified divinity of the contest or struggle (Paus.5.26.3), the basis for the word “agony.”
33. Νίκης, θυμίαμα μάνναν.
To Nike, Goddess of Victory
Divine connection: manna
Εὐδύνατον καλέω Νίκην, θνητοῖσι ποθεινήν,
Great power, I call, Nike[1], for whom mortals yearn.
ἣ μούνη λύει θνητῶν ἐναγώνιον ὁρμὴν
She alone liberates humans in the agony[2] 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 questions and 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.
[1] Nike 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), likely due to the eternal renown of achieved by great victors.
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). 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.
It is worth observing that the Egyptian Goddess Isis is often depicted as winged.
[2] Agon (Ἀγών) is the personified divinity of the contest or struggle (Paus.5.26.3), the basis for the word “agony.”
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