The Athena Parthenos statue held Nike in her right hand. Nike was the Greek goddess, or personification, of victory, shown as a smaller winged figure poised to crown Athena with a wreath.
The colossal statue was created by the sculptor Phidias for the Parthenon in the fifth century BC. It was a chryselephantine image, built with a wooden core and covered with gold and ivory. Athena’s left hand supported her shield, while her spear rested nearby; her right hand presented the smaller Victory figure.
The original statue is lost, so its appearance is reconstructed from ancient descriptions, coins, and later copies such as the Varvakeion Athena. Some reconstructions also show a column beneath Athena’s right arm, though scholars debate whether the original included one. Nike is sometimes confused with Athena herself, but the tiny winged figure represented victory granted through Athena’s power.