ATHENA NIKE

The Temple of Athena Nike is a small but impressive structure on the Acropolis of Athens, built around 420 BC by the architect Callicrates. It is located on the edge of a precipice near the Propylaia and is surrounded by a parapet sculpted with scenes of Athena Nike. The temple once housed a wooden statue of Athena Nike holding a pomegranate symbolizing prosperity. Despite its small size, the temple holds great historical and architectural significance.

The winged statues that formed the parapet of the small temple of Athena Nike, meaning victorious Athena, which you can see in the museum, date to around 410 BC. This parapet, which formed a barrier between the temple and the edge of the rock bastion of the Acropolis, was 41 meters long and was composed of numerous tablets, each one portraying a version of winged Athena.