The Temple of Athena Nike

Pausanias refers to the small Temple of Athena Nike (Victory) as the Temple of Wingless Victory. He says there was a wingless wooden statue inside the temple, holding a pomegranate and helmet. Although usually Victory is shown with wings, Athena is wingless. The temple honors Athena as a wingless Victory personified.
The Temple of Athena Nike is not intact. It was torn down and recycled by the Turkish government in 1687, but then was rebuilt in 1835.

The Temple of Athena Nike is at the southwest corner of the Acropolis bastion, to the right of the Propylaea. This Ionic temple is made of Pentelic marble. It is described as being amphiprostyle tetrastyle, with columns 13'4" high including base and capital. There are 4 columns in front and 4 behind. The frieze, which is in high relief, is 86' x 1'5.5" and runs around the temple. The cella is 16' long. It is thought that the architect was Callicrates (who with Ictinus was architect of the Parthenon). It was built during the 5th century B.C., probably after the Propylaea and the Parthenon. Janice Siegel's Illustrated lecture on the Temple of Athena Nike dates the construction to between 427-424 B.C.

The frieze displays gods and battle scenes, whose arrangement has been disputed. Siegel says one battle is the Battle of Plataea fought successfully against the Persians in 479. Part of the frieze, taken by Lord Elgin, was replaced by a terra cotta replica. The frieze is at the British Museum.

References:

• The Attica of Pausanias, by Mitchell Carroll, 1907.
• The Sanctuary of Athena Nike in Athens: Architectural Stages and Chronology, by Ira S. Mark. 1993.