Nikè, or Victory. Torso of a female figure, moving rapidly to the front, and to our left, with the right arm extended in the same direction. The figure wears a short sleeveless chiton with a diploïdion which is confined under the girdle, to facilitate rapid motion. A piece of bronze, which is fixed in the marble about the middle of the left thigh, may have served for the attachment of a metallic object, perhaps a taenia held in the left hand. At the back the drapery is tied together, so as to leave the shoulder-blades bare. On each shoulder-blade is a deep oblong sinking, which can only have served for the insertion of the wings, which must have been attached by dowels in the holes pierced round the sinkings. It may be inferred from the size of these sinkings that the wings were of marble, not metal. It has generally been taken for granted, that this figure belongs to the eastern pediment, and it has been inferred from its height that it was not placed much nearer the centre than its present position. This depends, however, on the original position of the wings. If they were raised above the head, the figure must have occupied a place nearer to the centre than it does at present. But it should be observed, that in Carrey's drawing of the eastern pediment this figure is not given, and, though Visconti states that it was found lying on the ground below the front of the temple, it has been contended that he may have been misinformed on this point, and that the figure so closely resembles one in the western pediment as drawn by Carrey and Dalton that it is probably the same. (See plate v., fig. 2, N, Michaelis, p. 175, pl. 7, fig. N, and _Hilfstafel_, fig. N.) This resemblance may be admitted; but if, on this ground, we identify the torso of Nikè with the figure in the western pediment (N), which stands by the car of Amphitritè, we have a Victory associated with the side of Poseidon, which seems inconsistent with the entire conception of the western pediment. Moreover, the figure in Carrey's drawing has a scarf hanging from the left arm, which seems not in character with the type of Victory; and, further, Carrey gives no indication of wings. On the other hand, the composition in the eastern pediment would be incomplete if Nikè were not present to welcome the new-born Athenè. On the whole, therefore, there is strong reason for leaving this torso in the pediment to which it was originally assigned by Visconti. In recent years two valuable additions have been made to this figure. The right thigh was identified and added in 1860, and the left knee in 1875. The figure is placed by Sauer in profile to the left. _Mus. Marbles_, VI., pl. 9; Michaelis, pl. 6, figs. 14, 14_a_; Baumeister, _Denkmaeler_, p. 1182, fig. 1372. [Sidenote: =303 K, L, M.=]