Who is the goddess Nemesis?

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Often, when any troubles happen or negative events occur, we ask ourselves: “Why do I need all this?” or “Why did this happen to me?” But, as a rule, we cannot find the answer to this question, because we quickly forget about our actions, no matter how good or bad they are.

In ancient times, people believed that sooner or later you have to pay for everything you do. No wonder they say: "As it comes around, it will respond." And the goddess Nemesis is watching this, and we'll talk about her.

How did Nemesis come about?

According to ancient Greek mythology, Nemesis is the goddess of vengeance and retribution. If a person has committed a bad deed, she will make sure that retribution will surely overtake him. The mother of Nemesis was the goddess of the night Nikta, she gave birth to her as a punishment to Kronos. Along with Nemesis, other deities appeared: Eris - the goddess of discord, Thanatos - the god of death, Apata - the goddess of deceit, Hypnos - the god of dark dreams.

Wrath of Nemesis

Often, next to the name of this deity, the name Adrastea is mentioned, which in translation sounds like “inevitable”. It appeared not by chance and is connected with the fact that the fate of every person is inevitable, all of ussooner or later there will be retribution for our deeds.

The goddess Nemesis is called upon to monitor the world order, the course of events, so that no one tries to change their destiny, which is destined by higher powers. The name of the deity is associated with the word "nemo", which translates as "justly indignant."

How the goddess Nemesis was portrayed

She was painted on mosaics, ancient amphorae and other objects, in her hands there were certainly scales and other symbols that personified balance and righteous anger: a whip, a sword and a bridle. Behind her back were wings, a chariot was always present, which was harnessed by ferocious griffins. You can also find the image of the goddess with her arm bent at the elbow, which symbolized the time unit as a measure of things.

Temple of Nemesis

In Ramne - a small village, which was located on the coast of Attica near Marathon, there was a temple dedicated to Nemesis. Every year, athletic competitions were held in this place and theatrical performances were staged. In the temple there was a statue of the goddess, which, according to legend, was sculpted by Phidias. The goddess Nemesis was depicted holding an apple branch in one hand and holding a glass of wine in the other.

There is a legend about how this statue appeared. When the Persians decided to conquer Greece, they took with them a piece of white marble with the intention of winning and dedicating a monument to this joyful event. But they lost this battle, and when the Athenians found this marble, they gave it to the sculptors. So on the border of Europe and Asia there was a statue of the goddessNemesis.

Goddess Nemesis - patroness of Roman gladiators

Roman soldiers greatly honored this deity. In the room of every Greco-Roman gladiator there was always an image of the goddess and her figurine. The warriors believed that the fair Nemesis would definitely help them defeat their opponent, and her wrath would overtake anyone who would act dishonestly. Thus, we can conclude that this goddess, among other things, was also the patroness of gladiators.