In ancient Greece, Nike was the goddess who personified victory. In Greek mythology, during the Titanomachy, the epic battle between Gods and Titans, Nike has been portrayed as the divine charioteer, flying around battlefields and presenting the victors with a wreath of laurel leaves. In many statues Nike and her Roman equivalent Victoria are shown with a chariot.
This statue of a Germanic version of Nike stands at the northern gate to Berlin's Olympic Stadium. A nearby sign tells us:
The theme of the goddess of victory dates back to classical antiquity. The Olympic complex planners sought to combine ancient Greek and German motifs. The art committee proposed placing a "German Nike" between the Sports Forum and the Stadium. The robe of the goddess of victory alludes o the statue's origin in antiquity, whilst the oak leaves in her hand are a German victory symbol.
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