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One of the most celebrated works of Hellenistic art is without doubt the Nike of Samothrace, on display at the Louvre since 1884 CE. The white Parian marble statue represents the personification of winged victory. In a sense, the impact of the 2.75 m high statue is even greater now because the head and both arms of the goddess are missing.
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The archaeological remains of a foundation & the good condition of the marble statue suggest that the Nike was housed in a small building with a roof.
As initiates to mystery cults were sworn to secrecy; little is known about the Samothracian cult and the Great Gods. Due to its strategic location along various trade routes in the northern Aegean Sea, the cult was associated with protection at sea and was therefore popular with seafarers. It is said that the parents of Alexander the Great, Philip II of Macedon and Olympias of Epirus, first met each other as initiates in Samothrace (Plut. Alex. 2.1).
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