EASTERN ROMAN EMPIRE Valens AD 364-378 AE3 Nummus /VICTORY Angel NGC (99)

She is the Roman equivalent of the Greek
goddess Nike, and was associated with Bellona. She was adapted from the Sabine
agricultural goddess Vacuna and had a temple on the Palatine Hill. The goddess
Vica Pota was also sometimes identified with Victoria.



Unlike the Greek Nike, the goddess Victoria (Latin for "victory") was a major
part of Roman society. Multiple temples were erected in her honor. When her
statue was removed in 382 CE by Emperor Gratianus there was much anger in Rome.
She was normally worshiped by triumphant generals returning from war.



Also unlike the Greek Nike, who was known for success in athletic games such as
chariot races, Victoria was a symbol of victory over death and determined who
would be successful during war.



Victoria appears widely on Roman coins, jewelry, architecture, and other arts.
She is often seen with or in a chariot, as in the late 18th-century sculpture
representing Victory in a quadriga on the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany;
"Il Vittoriano" in Rome has two.



Winged figures, very often in pairs, representing victory and referred to as
"victories", were common in Roman official iconography, typically hovering high
in a composition, and often filling spaces in spandrels or other gaps in
architecture. These represent the spirit of victory rather than the goddess
herself. They continued to appear after Christianization of the Empire, and
slowly mutated into Christian angels.



The symbolism of angels has been adopted from the ancient Roman goddess of
victory by the early Christians. The goddess transformed into what is known by
the Christians as angels via the Christianization of the Roman empire. This is
evidenced by many coins still depicting victory, yet of the time period where
Christianity was already the official religion of the Roman empire. She appears
along with symbols such as a Christogram (also known as a Chi-Rho which is a
monogram of Jesus Christ), Staurogram, and the cross, attributing to it's
Christian symbolism.



An angel is a purely spiritual being found in various religions and mythologies.
In Abrahamic religions and Zoroastrianism, angels are often depicted as
benevolent celestial beings who act as intermediaries between God or Heaven and
Earth, or as guardian spirits or a guiding influence. Other roles of angels
include protecting and guiding human beings, and carrying out God's tasks. The
term "angel" has also been diversified to various notions of spirits or figures
found in many other religious traditions. The theological study of angels is
known as "angelology". In art, angels are often depicted with bird-like wings on
their back, a halo, robes and various forms of glowing light