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Nike is the goddess of victory in Greek Mythology. Homer does not personify Nike. She is the daughter of the giant Pallas and the river Styx in Hesiod and she is sent to fight on the side of Zeus against the Titans. Athens did not appear to have a separate cult for Nike. At first she was inseparably connected and confounded with Pallas Athena, the dispenser of victory, but she is gradually separated from her. Both Athena and Zeus can be seen carrying small figures of Nike indicating that she is an attribute of both of them. Nike with Athena is always wingless while Nike as a separate goddess is always winged. Nike appears carrying a palm branch, wreath, or a caduceus of Hermes in works of art. She is also seen erecting a trophy or recording a victory on a shield. Frequently she is seen hovering with outspread wings over the victor in a competition. Nike gradually came to be recognized as a sort of mediator of success between gods and men not only in war but all sorts of human undertakings.

Life was early associated with air because the need for air is so immediate. The birds flew in the air and were often associated with the spirit of life. Since a winged flight is associated with a victory over death it was easily associated with victory. Hense victory is associated with the winged goddess Nike. Nike is an aspect of Athena and is essentially an Athena with wings.

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For the ancient Greeks, the goddess Nike represented the personification of victory. In the case of this particular work of art, there is some speculation about the exact victory that this marble statue celebrates, but it is most likely that she is meant to commemorate naval battles that were won by the Rhodians. And while she now commands attention in the Louvre as a free-standing statue, originally the Nike was part of scene that included a ship's prow. The beautiful goddess must have been an awe-inspiring sight, appearing to drift from the sky and land gracefully, wings still hovering in the air, draperies moving in the wind and revealing the elegant body underneath.

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She gradually came to be recognized as a mediator between gods and mortals, and was frequently shown carrying a palm branch, wreath, or staff as the messenger of victory. When depicted on her own, she was often a winged figure hovering over the victor in a competition. At Rome she was worshiped as Victoria.