NIKE, the ancient Greek goddess of victory was very much to the fore when the exhibition, “Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes,” was unveiled to the media this morning (December 16) at the National Museum.

And why Nike? Well, for one thing she symbolised the competitive spirit which flourished not only in Ancient Greeks sports but in its arts where fierce competition prevailed at annual drama festivals.

Indeed, as John Loukadellis, president of the Greek Orthodox Community & Church of Canberra, pointed out, the exhibition could be seen as “a Nike, or a victory, for all of us”.

NMA director Mathew Trinca wasn’t about to disagree, calling the show, which features more than 170 objects from the British Museum’s collection of Greek treasures dating from 800 BCE to 200 CE, “perhaps the best we’ve ever brought from anywhere around the world” and “an affirmation of the human spirit”.

But he also reflected out loud that when we talk about the ancient world, we’re usually thinking of 2000-3,000 years ago, but what about our own 60,000-year history of human habitation in Australia?

Representing ACT chief minister Andrew Barr was Arts Minister Tara Cheyne, who thought such an exhibition would bring about a sense of well-being, while in a video message, British Museum director, Hartwig Fischer, outlined the various areas encompassed in the show, the fourth blockbuster to come from the museum to the NMA.

Anything to do with Ancient Greece tends to get people thinking about our cultural origins. The superb head from a statue of Apollo, god of the sun and music, for instance, shows where we got our Western ideas of beauty, while the armour of a tiny warrior makes you wonder how much bigger heroes might have been if they’d known about McDonalds.

Loukadellis reflected on the fact that he hadn’t been brought up on story of the three little pigs but rather on that of Theseus and the Minotaur. And, he said, when he looked into the eyes of a bust of Zeus, what he saw was kindness – readers of Homer could be surprised by that.

“We Greeks are a fun-loving people,” he said, and although there could be some contention about Greek artefacts and the British Museum, he felt sure the entire Greek community would want to offer congratulations to both to the BM for lending the works and the NMA for showing them.

So, to the exhibition itself. It’s hard not to be gobsmacked by the large marble three-dimensional art, such as the statue of Diadoumenos the ribbon binder,  based on an original version  by the legendary sculptor Polykleitos, or the magnificent orange and black amphoras depicting sport and the arts or the  bust of the famous author of tragedies, Euripides, which suggests an argumentative personality.

But visitors to the museum will find much more than large slabs of marble. For there are tiny works, too, including movable moving clay sculptures, a priceless golden diadem and a small statue of a Dionysian acolyte in a state of ecstasy.

You won’t be able to touch any of the objects on showing this exhibition, but you’ll feel like it and those present, including me, could hardly wait to get an in-depth look at this impressive show.

“Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes”, National Museum of Australia, until May 1.