Nike

This volume provides a comprehensive historical and epigraphical study of victory ideology, iconography, and athletic-religious festivals across the Ancient Mediterranean world. Concentrating on Hellenistic Asia Minor and Pergamum, the chapters re-evaluate the structural nature and chronological frequency of the Nikephoria, established by Eumenes II to honor Athena Nikephoros. Rather than adhering strictly to a singular four-year or two-year schedule, the study demonstrates how Pergamene rulers effectively synthesized a biennial event through two overlapping quadriennial cycles—one Isopythian and one Isolympic—to assert a Panhellenic presence and project royal prestige. Furthermore, the iconographic and symbolic dimensions of victory (Nike) are investigated alongside the ritual timing of Greek and Roman festivals, emphasizing spatial, numerical, and structural symmetry. By connecting epigraphic evidence with socio-political developments from Hellenism to the reign of Constantine, the collected essays illuminate the enduring alignment of sacred calendars, civic identity, and ruler ideology in antiquity.