The goddess Themis was the embodiment of justice in ancient Greece.
Without rules and norms of behavior, the life of human society could turn into chaos. The ancient Greeks and Romans were well aware of this, and that is why they especially revered the patron saint of justice, Themis.
This goddess is one of the most recognizable, because her appearance has many unusual features-symbols, such as blindfolded eyes. Strangely enough, even in modern times, when the beliefs of ancient Greece have been left behind, the image of Themis is often used as a symbol of justice and order. What was the goddess, called Themis by the Greeks and Justia by the Romans? Why does she look so strange?
Quotes from Classical Ancient Greek Literature
Hesd. Theogony. 901-906. (Source: Hellenic poets of the eighth to third centuries B.C. / Translated by V. В. Veresaev. - Moscow: Ladomir, 1999. - С. 48) (Greek epos of the 8th-7th centuries B.C.):
"Zeus took the brilliant Themis as his wife.
And she bore Or - Eunomia [Order], Diku [Justice], Irena [Peace]
(The lush fields of the earth-born people they guard),
And also Moir, the most honorable by the all-wise Cronid.
There are three of them: Clofo and Lachesis and Atropos. To mortals .
To mortal men they send both the good and the bad."
Homeric Hymns. XXIII. To Zeus. (Source: Hellenic poets of the eighth to third centuries BC / Translated by V. В. Veresaev. - Moscow: Ladomir, 1999. - P. 172) (Greek epos of the 7th - 4th centuries B.C.):
"Zeus, among the gods the greatest and the best, to you my song!
Thunderous, sovereign ruler, judge-redeemer,
You like to have conversations with Themis [Divine Law], sitting bent over.
Read all the quotes about Themis >>
And you will be more responsible in your relationships.
He who has his eyes closed learns to trust. The one who gets hooked, along with the realization of "I am trusted," gains control. This sense of power excites, excites, and is a powerful psychological aphrodisiac. At the same time, a person must remember how important it is to be gentle, not to overstep boundaries and to restrain yourself in order to give pleasure to your partner.
This is how the "I show responsibility, I feel good" bond is created and cemented. It promotes a more attentive and caring relationship within the couple.
The function of the goddess
To begin with, it's worth saying that she is not a full-fledged goddess - most researchers agree that she is actually a titanid. But many people just don't get into the subtleties. So the goddess Themis in Greek mythology is responsible for justice, fairness and impartiality.
However, the sphere of responsibility of Themis was not limited to justice alone. She was also responsible for managing the seasons, which consist of 13 months. The ancient Greeks used to divide them into two seasons, summer and winter.
The fact! Even in our time, judges are often called servants of Themis, implying that they carry to society what the powerful goddess carried two thousand years ago.
By the way, although the first mention of Themis is found in excavations in Greece, it was even more popular in ancient Rome. True, there she was known under the name Justicia. But its functions have been preserved in full. Therefore, we can say with confidence that the goddess Justicia and Themis are one and the same character, just changing her name.
It is also worth noting that Justice should not be confused with the goddess of justice Equitas, who appeared in the Roman pantheon much earlier. Although their functions were similar, the latter had different attributes, as will be discussed below.
In addition to this, it is Themis who announces the will of Zeus to the other gods, and if necessary, gathers them on Olympus to make important decisions.
The Goddess of Justice
The mythology of ancient times did not escape this trend and also made the goddess a symbol of justice. The feminine image of truth and justice is also present in later religions. Themis is the goddess of the pantheon of ancient Greece, who personified law and legal order in all earthly affairs. She came from the Titans and was the daughter of Gaia and Uranus. The goddess Themis is the first wife of Zeus. From her marriage with the lord of Olympus were born Moira, the queen of fortune. Themis always sits at the right hand of Zeus, gives him advice and pronounces his verdict.
Of course, such an important deity was not without its own symbols. The scales and the sword were the main attributes of justice. The scales of Themis is an emblem of justice, a balanced decision. The sword is the symbol of the inevitability of punishment. These symbols are still used in the judicial symbolism of different countries.
How it came into being
First of all, it should be noted that the Greek goddess of justice Themis is the daughter of the most powerful of the titans - Uranus - and the earth goddess Gaia. So she is officially much older than Zeus and all the Olympic gods; to the thunderer she is an aunt.
It can be connected with the fact that in the perception of the ancient Greeks justice and fairness appeared much earlier than many other things, and therefore is much more important than art, winemaking or even farming.
In general it is strange - most of the titans and titanids in Hellas were perceived rather reservedly and none of them were built temples or worshipped. They were worshipped mainly because some of the gods were their children. Only Themis is an exception to this rule.
The meaning of tattoos for girls
The austere image of Themis is not devoid of femininity, not for nothing her stateliness and austere beauty inspire artists. Girls who have chosen the image of the goddess of justice to decorate the body, it is important to denote with a tattoo their life principles - compliance with moral and legal laws. The owner of the tattoo is fair by nature, trying not to offend or praise anyone. In relationships such girls rarely go astray, because they do not look at people through rose-colored glasses. The ability to perceive the world critically and objectively helps to avoid disappointment.
A tattoo of Themis can carry the meaning of a guiding talisman, which warns against bad actions and thoughts. Girls who choose the goddess for a body drawing, dream of an orderly, peaceful life, in which there is no place for evil people, wrong actions, inadequate behavior.
A little about marital status
Contrary to popular belief, Hera was not the first wife of Zeus. Before her, the mighty thunderer was married to Themis. By her union with him she gave birth to three daughters, the goddesses Or:
- Eunomia (lawfulness),
- Dike (justice),
- Eirene (peace).
Despite the names clearly hinting at a proximity to their mother's activities, the three goddesses were responsible for the changing of the seasons.
Fact! There is an opinion that it was Themis who invented hexameter, a particular style of heroic verse.
However, there is also another point of view, that the marriage of Themis and Zeus gave birth to three Moirs, goddesses of destiny. But this version is less widespread in the circle of experts - the majority believes that the parents of Moira are Kronos and Nykta.
What is interesting is that Hera was never jealous of her husband over Themis, unlike his other wives and mistresses. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the goddess of justice has always tried to keep a low profile, not to get ahead, while giving very valuable advice to her former spouse. For example, Themis, who has the gift of divination, gave the thunderer a very important secret through Prometheus. He was not to be united with the nymph Thetis. Otherwise such a union would have produced a powerful god who would have defied and overthrown Zeus, as was often the case in their lineage when Cronus overthrew his father Uranus by scoping him, and Zeus did the same to Cronus, already his father.
The meaning of tattoos for men
The image of Themis, chosen for the subject of the tattoo, attracts men with strong principles and beliefs. Justice - not an empty word for the owners of the tattoo, they strongly believe in the punishability of crimes and the inevitability of punishment for those who broke the law. Such men are characterized by the desire to always and everywhere to comply with the rules and require it of others. Owners of tattoos do not change their convictions and firmly defend their point of view, even if the opponent is much stronger physically.
Often, the Themis tattoo is applied to the body as a sign of the injustice of this world - in such cases, the scales are depicted at different levels, showing how the servants of the law can turn a blind eye to the true state of affairs. In the bowl that tug, they draw bars of gold, denoting the corruption of the justice system, the venality of lawyers. Such tattoo plots are chosen by people faced with judicial errors, incompetence or negligence of law enforcement agencies.
Attributes of Themis
Of course, it is impossible to talk about such an important character as the goddess of justice and fairness Themis and not to mention her inherent attributes. Among these we can safely include:
- scales,
- ...a sword..,
- the blindfold.
And each symbol of justice of the goddess Themis did not appear at all accidentally, as in general there is no accident in symbolism. Therefore it is necessary to tell about them in detail.
The scales of the goddess Themis symbolize accuracy and balance - before making a final decision, the goddess tries to take into account every detail and nuance to make justice as objective as possible.
The sword, which the goddess Themis holds in her hands, also makes everything clear - it is a symbol of the fact that after the decision the punishment will be swift and the criminal will not be able to escape. In addition, there is a version that thanks to the sword she can cut off the truth from the lies, objectivity from the speculation, which gives the opportunity to rule the most fair trial.
But perhaps the most interesting is the third attribute. And indeed, many people have a question why the goddess Themis is usually portrayed blindfolded. It is worth mentioning at once - originally in Hellas this habitual attribute of the goddess was absent. It only began to appear much later, in works of art of the sixteenth century and beyond. The armband shows impartiality. The goddess of justice doesn't know who she is judging, and nothing can affect the objectivity of her decision. It is not without reason that it is said that justice is blind. That is, everyone must be judged according to the law, not their own preferences or sympathies. Well, ideally, every judge should be exactly that, so that his or her decisions would be as fair as possible.
But it is Themis, and later Justice, who has such attributes. If we talk about the goddess of justice Equitas, then everything is somewhat different. She holds a sword in one hand and a horn of plenty in the other. The sword symbolizes the same thing as in the hand of Justice - swift and inevitable punishment. The horn of plenty, on the other hand, can be called the guarantor of the fact that the innocent will also be rewarded generously and according to their merits. But the goddess Equitas has never been associated with the scales and the blindfold, which allows us to ascertain that she is not a copy of Justice.
Interesting Facts
- Another interpretation of the image of Themis was given by sculptors, who created a statue of the Greek goddess, placed near the building of the Supreme Court in Moscow. After the reconstruction above one of the entrances to the building a figure of Themis without a blindfold appeared. Since the blindfold is a symbol of impartiality, there were many critical comments about it at once, including those published in the press. The creators of the sculpture, as it turned out, wanted to make it clear in this way that justice is not blind or cruel.
Sculpture of Themis on the building of the Supreme Court in Moscow
- Another innovation - a shield in the hands of the figure, which he holds instead of a sword or horn - also raised questions. According to the authors, it should symbolize that the justice system protects people, rather than punishing anyone who encountered it.
The Cult of the Goddess
We have understood why Themis, the goddess of justice, was depicted in this way. Now it is worth telling how she was worshipped. It would have been strange if in Ancient Greece, with the Hellenes' longing for justice, there had not been temples built for the goddess Themis. They did exist, but, alas, no detailed descriptions, not to mention the remains of structures, have survived to this day. It is known that the largest of them were located:
- Dodon,
- Athens,
- Tanagra,
- Phthiodides,
- Thebes.
In addition, a special altar erected in her honor was located at Olympia.
An interesting feature is that Themis was often depicted in the temples of other gods. It is possible that she even shared their dwellings with them. It is possible that this indicates that the goddess of justice was in some sense superior to the other inhabitants of Olympus.
In Rome, Justice began to gain popularity relatively later, around the middle of the first century, in the twilight of the empire. It was then, by order of Emperor Tiberius, that the only known temple was built - in Rome. Prior to that, the functions of justice and law and order were performed exclusively by the Equitas.
Alas, no detailed descriptions of whether and how the festivals in honor of the goddess Themis were celebrated to this day have survived. The only accurate information is that the priest of Justice in ancient Rome had the status of a special servant. But also that this is still a matter of debate among experts.
It is strange that Themis, despite her immense popularity, does not have a single myth devoted exclusively to her. She is mentioned in many other tales dedicated to other inhabitants of Olympus and heroes, often acting as a helper, but for some reason she did not get her own myth. Perhaps simply because she is not a goddess, but a titaness. Or maybe it points to the antiquity of the character.
Themis' role on earth and on Olympus
Themis was the faithful consort and helper of Zeus. Though their union was short-lived, and the Thunderer soon married the beautiful Hera, the Goddess of Justice never ceased to help him. It was she who advised Zeus before the Trojan War, and it was she who was empowered to convene a council of the gods, which often decided the fate of the world or individual deities and people.
In her marriage to Zeus, Themis had three daughters, Ora, who embodied the seasons and were responsible for preserving peace and order on earth. In later legends it is mentioned that Moira, the spinster goddesses who create the fates of people, were also born in this union.
Themis' companion and helper was Nemesis, who embodied just punishment. Despite some kinship in the activities of these goddesses, they should not be confused. Nemesis symbolized legal retribution, and Themis was the embodiment of justice and order.
Alfred Rethel, fragment of the painting "Nemesis, Goddess of Vengeance", 1837 Location: Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia
Themis was the prototype of the Roman goddess of Justice, whose image was almost exactly copied from the Greek "sister". The cult of this goddess spread in Rome during the reign of Emperor Tiberius, who considered Justice his patroness.
By the way, the importance of the veneration of Themis is also indicated by the base "femis", which in the Mycenaean period is often found in the names of various regions. The Greeks and Romans tried to appeal to Themis, to attract her attention, in order to gain the support of such a powerful goddess.
It is not for nothing that Themis was considered one of the most powerful and great goddesses. Thanks to her, society could live according to the rules and laws established to maintain peace and order. This goddess opposed chaos and evil, and her image is still often found today in courts, which are still called "temples of Themis."
Orphic Hymn
The history of the goddess Themis is not only interesting, but also extensive. For example, it is impossible not to note that she was honored with her own Orphic hymn, which not all the inhabitants of Olympus can boast of. This usually indicates that the character was particularly important or enjoyed great popularity with people.
In Greek the hymn sounds like this:
ΟΟὐρανόπαιδ' ἁγνὴν καλέω, Θέμιν εὐπατέρειαν, Γαίης τὸ βλάστημα νέον, καλυκώπιδα κούρην, ἣ πρώτη κατέδειξε βροτοῖς μαντήιον ἁγνὸν Δελφικῷ ἐν κευθμῶνι, θεμιστεύουσα θεοῖσιν, Πυθίῳ ἐν δαπέδῳ, ὅτε Πυθοῖ ἐμβασίλευεν- ἣ καὶ Φοῖβον ἄνακτα θεμιστοσύνας ἐδίδαξεν πάντιμ', ἀγλαόμορφε, σεβάσμιε, νυκτιπόλευτε- πρώτη γὰρ τελετὰς ἁγίας θνητοῖς ἀνέφηνας, βακχιακὰς ἀνὰ νύκτας ἐπευάζουσα ἄνακτα- ἐκσέο τιμαὶ μακάρων μυστήριά θ' ἁγνά ἀλλά, μάκαιρ', ἔλθοις κεχαρημένη εὔφρονι βουλῇ εὐϊέρους ἐπὶ μυστιπόλους τελετὰς σέο, κούρη.
Of course, most readers will not be able to appreciate the hymn in its original form. Fortunately, there is a very high quality translation into Russian:
I invoke Themis, Uranus and Gaia's purest Daughter, the lovely Virgin with a face that is like a flower. The first You indicated the sacred oracles place: In Delphi secret secret revealed to the immortal and mortal, The will of the gods announced in the country, where Python reigned. Thou, who taught Thebes the art of holy fortune-telling, the Queen revered by all, who serves the mysterious Nixta. Thou hast first manifested for mortals the rite of initiation, The sacraments of Bacchus the Lord, greeting them with the cry of "Eva!" - Thou hast brought veneration of blessed gods and rites. Come down to the mystics, O Blessed One, save them with wise counsel, For their prayers and hopes are directed to Thee!
As the reader can be convinced by reading the hymn, Themis was indeed cried out to in all kinds of cases and had great hopes for her help.
Symbols of Themis
The attributes of the goddess were chosen for a reason and have a profound sacred meaning:
- Themis's armband.
- Impartiality. All are equal before the goddess of order, gods and men alike. Neither status nor social distinctions matter. The law is one for all. - The mantle
- A ritual garment for administering justice. For the Ancient Greeks, all processes were sacred and ritual, so the choice of clothing was of great importance. - The scales of Themis
- measure, balance, equilibrium and justice. The scales are a very ancient architectonic image that is the measure not only of concrete things that can be weighed, but also of such concepts as "good" and "evil," "guilt" and "innocence. Which cup will tip the balance? Themis holds the scales in her left hand, which is also symbolic, the left side of the body being the perceiving side. - The sword of Themis.
- spiritual power, retribution or vengeance for the deeds committed by men. Originally, the goddess held a horn of plenty, but then the Romans introduced their concept and placed in the right hand of the goddess a sword (right action), in their view, more reflective of the essence of Themis (Justice). The image of the goddess holding the sword pointing upwards indicates the divine will of heaven. Later, Themis increasingly began to be depicted with the sword pointing downwards. This position is interpreted as a reliance on strength.
Images
Alas, despite the general popularity of Themis in Hellas and Rome, very few images in the form of paintings, mosaics or sculptures have survived. And most of the existing ones were created either during the Renaissance or already in our time. Therefore, each picture is of particular value.
For example, this drawing is a painting of a vase (kilik). It depicts the goddess Themis, as well as Aegeus, who came to her for a prophecy, the powerful king of Athens and father of the hero Theseus. The time of creation is the middle of the fifth century B.C.
And this painting is by the Italian artist Piero Pollaiulo. He worked on it from 1469 to 1470. As you can see from the image, there is no eye patch yet - the fashion for them will appear about a century later. And the usual scales no - of the attributes in the picture there is only a sharp sword. As the Italian was inspired by Roman mythology, he depicted not Themis, and Justice. Today the painting is in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
Themis looks more familiar in a fresco by the famous artist Raffaello Santi. In her hands she holds both a sword and scales. The masterpiece is located in the Vatican.
Finally, the Dutch artist Gabriele Metsu has depicted Themis in her usual form, with all the proper attributes, including a bandage over her eyes. He called the picture "The Triumph of Justice". The time of creation - 1651-1653 years. As the reader can see, not only the bandage appeared, but also a half-naked chest - for some reason in the Renaissance, some artists depicted the goddess of justice that way. Nowadays, the painting is kept in the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis, the Netherlands.
Based on all of the above, it is safe to say that although Themis was not part of the pantheon of major Greek gods, she is still one of the most important characters of Hellenic mythology as a whole.
See also:
Images of Themis
Photo of Themis
Blind to the truth or to a lie?
The fact that the patroness of the right court is blindfolded is also often perceived ironically. It turns out that this detail can emphasize not only the objectivity and impartiality of the judicial tribe, but, on the contrary, can be perceived as bias and subjectivism, which owns the people, called to administer a righteous court and not to fall for promises. In the case where the court made an unjust decision to please someone or out of fear, looking at the goddess's eyes covered under the shawl, it is said with a bitter chuckle that the goddess of justice is, alas, blind.
