Themis appears as one of the brains behind the whole war in several versions of the epic tale of the Trojan War. Other sources, however, present Prometheus as a nephew, not a child, of Themis. Promethus received Themis’ prophecy that the war would not be won by strength or force, but by craft. In this literary work, Themis is presented as the mother of Prometheus. Themis is also instrumental in the following stories: Prometheus Bound Horae (hours), Dike (justice), Eunomia (order), Eirene (peace), and the Moirai (fates) are her children. Starting off with Hesiod’s Theogony, which listed down Themis’ children and their importance in terms of the administration of law. Many stories from ancient Greece mentioned the beloved Themis. This helped Olympians take advantage by releasing the Cyclopes from Tartarus. She knew the Titans would fall and saw that the war would not be won by brute strength but by gaining the upper hand in another way. Even Hera, Zeus’ jealous wife, could not hate the goddess and still addressed her as ‘Lady Themis.’ Themis Foresees the Fall of TitansĪside from her infallible sense of justice and order, Themis is also associated with the Oracles of Gaia because of her gift of prophecy. Zeus’ love interests almost always end up in a tragedy, but Themis managed to evade this ‘curse.’ She remained a revered and respected goddess. Only Metis, Athena’s mother, preceded Themis as one of the earliest brides of Zeus. As the embodiment of fairness, she is praised for always sticking to facts and considering all the pieces of evidence presented before deciding who’s in the right and who’s in the wrong. Therefore depictions of Themis often show her holding a balance scale and a sword. She issued the laws by which mortals should live their lives. Themis emerged to become the Goddess of Divine Law and Order, and, in effect, the Goddess of Justice. This great shuffle in divine power benefited the female Titans, too, as each one of them gained a privileged position and a specific role to play as leaders. The Titans staged an insurrection against their father Uranus, and the Titan Cronus took his place. Going back to her roots, Themis is a Titaness and daughter of Uranus (sky) and Gaia (earth), along with numerous siblings. She had made herself invaluable due to her prophetic gifts, which allowed her to see the future and prepare accordingly for it. In fact, when Zeus rose to power, she sat in the throne beside him not only as a trusted advisor and confidant, but as his first wife. Who is Themis? Painting of Themis with scales and sword by Marcello Bacciarelli, Public Domain.ĭespite being a Titan, Themis took the side of the Olympians during the Titanomachy. She is likewise credited as being the predecessor of Lady Justice, a popular symbol of justice today. She played an instrumental role in events like the Trojan war and the assemblies of Gods. Known for her ability to cut through hearsay and lies, Themis is revered for always keeping a level head, balanced and fair. As the Titaness goddess of divine law and order, people regarded Themis as one of the most important and beloved Greek goddesses.
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