Nike was the Greek goddess who personified victory and was often depicted with wings.
Nike represented victory in battle, athletics, and other contests. In Hesiod’s Theogony, she was the daughter of the river goddess Styx and the Titan Pallas, and the sister of Zelus, Kratos, and Bia—personifications of rivalry, strength, and force. She was closely associated with Zeus and Athena.
Greek artists typically showed Nike as a winged woman in motion, carrying a wreath or palm branch and sometimes presenting victory to a god or human champion. Her wings expressed speed and the arrival of triumph. In Athens, she was especially connected with Athena Nike, an aspect of Athena honored as bringer of victory.
Nike can be confused with Iris because both were winged female figures. Iris was primarily the messenger goddess, while Nike embodied success or triumph itself. Her Roman counterpart was Victoria, and the modern athletic brand takes its name from this ancient personification.