Nike of Callimachus

The Nike of Callimachus, also known as The Dedication of Callimachus, is a remarkable statue created by the Athenians to honor their polemarch, Callimachus, who played an influential role in the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC. Callimachus was crucial in making key decisions during the battle and tragically lost his life in the conflict. To commemorate him, the Athenians erected this statue near the northwest corner of the original Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens. Unfortunately, it was heavily damaged during the Persian invasion in 480 BC.

The statue exquisitely depicts Nike, the goddess of victory, as a draped woman with wings, standing atop an Ionic column. Crafted from either Parian or Pentelic marble, it originally stood at an impressive height of 4.68 meters. Despite the damage, certain parts of the statue, such as the head and hands, were never recovered. The monument's inscription, though partially destroyed, remains a rare example of a preserved dedicatory epigram from the late archaic period.

In 2010, after meticulous restoration, the Nike of Callimachus was proudly displayed at the Acropolis Museum. The restoration team utilized original fragments and modern techniques to reconstruct the statue, offering visitors a glimpse of its authentic form. The unveiling of the restored statue was a significant event, coinciding with the 2,500th anniversary of the Battle of Marathon, and was celebrated by the Greek culture and tourism ministry.

Today, you can admire the Nike of Callimachus in the Archaic Monuments section of the Acropolis Museum. Additionally, a smaller replica is available to illustrate what the statue looked like before it was damaged.