Ancient Greece has always been famous for its rich and mysterious history. There are a huge number of legends about gods, demigods and simply legendary people of this holy land. One of those about whom the most beautiful legend is written is the goddess Dike. In this article, we will consider who she was. It is up to the reader to judge which of the following is true and which is fiction. So, the goddess Dike - who is she?
Meaning of name
To find out what the goddess Dike patronized, you should unravel the mystery of her name. Dike from the Greek Δίκη means "justice". The goddess carried the spirit of moral order and objective judgment based on the extraordinary customs and norms so indispensable to the regulation of social life.
Origins and family
The Greek god Zeus created divine laws to ensure order not only in Heaven, but also on Earth. The Thunderer from Olympus carefully monitored the execution of all laws both above and below. Zeus strictly honored the rule of law, however, even the supreme ruler could not keep track of all the people. Therefore, God had assistants - the goddess of justice Themis and her daughter, oneof which was Dike.
The daughter of Zeus and Themis walked the Earth with her scales. In order for the girl to be impartial, her father placed a bandage over her eyes. The young goddess was very truthful and fair. Most of all, the ancient Greek goddess Dike hated lies in any of its manifestations. On the scales, the girl accurately measured all the actions of the laity. When the hour of reckoning came, Dike went to Mount Olympus and informed Zeus about those who did not comply with the laws. Then Zeus decided how to punish these guilty people. His goal was to establish honesty throughout the land of Greece. Zeus believed that people are obliged to live according to the laws and do only worthy deeds. By the way, as an eternal sign of justice, he placed the constellation Libra in the sky.
Portrait of the goddess Dike from the point of view of cultural studies
In some myths, Dike is not only the patroness of justice and truth, but also the adviser of Zeus. One of her names - Astrea - scientists associate with the idea that justice is located in heaven.
Dicke is the personification of justice and one of the op. Ores (from the ancient Greek Ὥραι, "times") - the goddess of the seasons in ancient Greek mythology, who controlled the order in nature, the daughters of Zeus and Themis or Helios and Selena - is not known exactly. Guardians of Olympus now opening, then closing its cloudy gates. They are also called gatekeepers of heaven. It is the Ors that harness the horses of Helios.
Dike is close to Adrastea and Themis according to her destiny. "Indefatigable" she holds the keys tothe gate through which the paths of day and night pass. Goddess Dike is committed to justice in the cycle of souls, is categorical and inexorable towards deceitful people and observes their behavior with passion. Dike walks with a sword in his hands after the criminal and pierces the unfortunate in the heart. Sometimes she is associated with the goddess of just retribution, Nemesis, and with the demons of revenge - the Erinnias. The image of Dike is also close to Ananka - the deity of inevitability. According to Pausanias, it was she who was depicted on the famous casket of Kypsel, the tyrant of Corinth.
How she is portrayed
In all illustrations, the goddess looks like a young and slender woman wearing a laurel wreath, while her Roman counterpart (Justitia) appears in a similar image, but already blindfolded. It is represented in the constellation Libra. Dike is often referred to as the goddess of innocence and purity.
Iconography of the goddess Dike
The sculptures of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia have many unifying iconographic concepts. Dike is present in many illustrations, and in poetry she is often referred to as an assistant to Zeus. In the philosophical climate of Athens at the end of the 5th century, the goddess personified moral justice. She was one of three polecats of the second generation, along with Eunomia ("order") and Eirena ("peace").
Eunomia in ancient Greek mythology confidently supported mortals, patronized prosperous cities. Eirena, being the third daughter of Themis, also guarded the main we alth of mankind - peace, harmony and mutual understanding. She rulesjustice on Earth, while her mother, Themis, patronized justice in Heaven. She was opposed to Adikia, the goddess of injustice. The reliefs on the archaic casket of Kypsel, preserved in Olympia, contain fragments depicting the dislike of these two divine beings for each other.
In the later art of rhetoric, bequeathed to patristic literature, the personification of abstract concepts began to be treated as an artistic device, turning into the allegory of antiquity. In a further interpretation that arose with the advent of ecumenism, Dike is born mortal and Zeus places her on Earth so that humanity will germinate with honesty. But he quickly realized that this was impossible, and determined her place next to him on Mount Olympus.
How Dike ascended to heaven
If you believe the stories about the origin of the Virgo constellation, the goddess Dike lived on Earth during the Golden and Silver Ages, when there were no wars or diseases, people grew small crops and were happy. But with the advent of we alth, which mortals did not know how to properly dispose of, human greed also came. The goddess is sick. She proclaimed: “So this is what the race of the fathers of the Golden Age actually left behind! People have become more severe than the gods! Wars and cruel bloodshed will come to humanity, severe trials await it. The unfortunate goddess left Earth and went to heaven, and there, becoming a constellation, she watched over the despicable human race. After her ascension, mortals passed into the Bronze Age, which brought them diseases,suffering, cruel wars.
So, I would like to note once again that Dike to this day is a famous and recognizable symbol of law and order and justice. Her image is used for painting various buildings. Sculptures of the goddess are made all over the world. The image of Dike is firmly entrenched in the minds of modern people, including those who have minimal knowledge of ancient Greek mythology. The Goddess of Justice will live forever!
