The Museum of The Ancient Agora in Athens, Greece, located on the northwest side of the Acropolis, houses exhibits of ancient sculptures, pottery, and bronze work. The collection inside the museum contains items from the 7th century BC to the 3rd century AD.
The following is a selected collection of sculptures and other items currently in the museum.
Nike – Goddess of Victory
The bust of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, in the form of a sculpture titled Head of Victory. This 2nd century AD sculpture is a copy of the 5th century BC, originally by Paionios.
The origins of Nike in Greek mythology are a bit of a mystery. Some sources say that she is an attribute, personality, or avatar of Athena, and at some point, she separated and formed a unique persona. Other sources say that Athena and Nike are the same.
Hesiod’s Theogony states that Nike is the daughter of Styx and Pallas, who has three sisters, Zelus, Kratos, and Bia, who are the goddesses of zeal, strength, and power. Nike’s Latin counterpart is Victoria.
Helios – Sun God
Here is a 2nd century AD bust of the sun-god Helios. Helios signifies the sun in ancient Greek mythology. He is a son of two of the original twelve Titans, Hyperion and Theia, who personifies keepers of oaths and the god of sight. Helios is also the brother of the Greek goddesses Selene and Eos, the ancient goddesses of the moon and dawn.
In ancient Greece, Helios’ core worship centers were on the Island of Rhodes and Corinth and the greater Corinth region. There was a short-lived revival of the Worship of Helios in the 4th century AD under Roman Emperor Julian, who made him the central deity in formal Roman religious practices.
Helios frequently appears in ancient Greek art, poetry, literature, and mythology classics like the Homeric epic the Odyssey.
Artemis 440 BC – 420 BC
The head of a goddess pictured here is presumably Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. This particular sculpture is from circa 440 BC to 420 BC. Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and Leto and is the twin sister of the god Apollo. Artemis plays a central role in Greek mythology and the pantheon of the gods and goddesses since she is the goddess of the moon, hunting, animals, nature, woods, vegetation, childbirth, archery, and a matron of young women.
Artemis was worshipped everywhere in the ancient Greek world, where altars and temples dedicated to her were in all major cities and centers. The Romans worshipped Artemis as Diana in Latin.
