| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
| Greek deities series | |
|---|---|
| Primordial deities | |
| Olympians | |
| Aquatic deities | |
| Chthonic deities | |
| Other deities | |
| Titans | |
| The Twelve Titans: | |
| Oceanus and Tethys, | |
| Hyperion and Theia, | |
| Coeus and Phoebe, | |
| Rhea, Mnemosyne, | |
| Metis, Themis, | |
| Crius, Iapetus | |
| Sons of Iapetus: | |
| Atlas, Prometheus, | |
| Epimetheus, Menoetius | |
| Personified concepts | |
In Greek mythology, among the six brothers and six sisters of whom Cronos made one, Hesiod mentions Themis among the children of Gaia with Ouranos, Earth with Sky. Among these Titans of primordial myth, few were venerated at specific sanctuaries in classical times, and Themis was so ancient that the followers of Zeus claimed that it was with him she produced the Three Fates themselves (Hesiod, Theogony, 904). A fragment of Pindar, however, tells that the Moerae were already present at the nuptials of Zeus and Themis, that in fact the Moerae rose with Themis from the springs of Okeanos the encircling World-Ocean and accompanied her up the bright sun-path to meet Zeus at Olympus. With Zeus she more certainly bore the Horae, those embodiments of the right moment— the rightness of Order unfolding in Time— and Astraea. Themis was there at Delos to witness the birth of Apollo.
Themis (meaning "law of nature" rather than "human ordinance"), she "of good counsel," was the embodiment of divine order, law and custom. When Themis is disregarded, Nemesis brings just and wrathful retribution. Themis is not wrathful: she, "of the lovely cheeks" was the first to offer Hera a cup when she returned to Olympus distraught over threats from Zeus ( Iliad xv.88). Themis presided over the proper relation between man and woman, the basis of the rightly ordered family, and the family the pillar of the demeIn biology, a deme (rhymes with team is another word for a local population of organisms of one species that interbreed with one another. If demes are isolated for a long time they can become distinct subspecies or species. Se also population genetics In. Such was the basis for order upon Olympus too. Hera addressed her as "Lady Themis."
The name of Themis might be substituted for AdrasteiaA goddess in Greek mythology, Adrasteia was, in reality, an epithet ("inescapable") applied to Rhea, Cybele, Nemesis and Ananke. As Adrasteia, these three were especially associated with the despensation of rewards and punishments. She was the daughter of in the birth of Zeus on Crete. She built the OracleFor alternate usages of "Oracle", see Oracle (disambiguation Oracles are human beings who make predictions, or offer insight, based on a (claimed) connection to the Gods. In the ancient world many sites gained a reputation for the dispensing of oracular w at DelphiThis article is about the city of Delphi. For other meanings, see the disambiguation page on "Delphi". Delphi is an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece. In ancient times it was the site of the Delphic Oracle, dedicated to the god Apollo. Delph and was herself oracular. Themis was one of the gods behind the OracleFor alternate usages of "Oracle", see Oracle (disambiguation Oracles are human beings who make predictions, or offer insight, based on a (claimed) connection to the Gods. In the ancient world many sites gained a reputation for the dispensing of oracular w at DelphiThis article is about the city of Delphi. For other meanings, see the disambiguation page on "Delphi". Delphi is an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece. In ancient times it was the site of the Delphic Oracle, dedicated to the god Apollo. Delph, which she received from Gaia and gave to PhoebeIn Greek mythology, Phoebe referred to several people. Phoebe was one of the original Titans. One of the Heliades Another was the daughter of Leucippus, beloved by Castor and Polydeuces and Idas and Lynceus. Another name for Artemis Helen's sister, daught.
Consorts/Children
A Roman equivalent of one aspect of Hellenic Themis, as the personification of the divine rightness of law, was Justitia. Her origins are in civic abstractions of a Roman mindset, rather than archaic mythology, so drawing comparisons is not fruitful. Portrayed as an impassive woman, blindfolded and holding scales and a cornucopia, the sculpted figure outside a county courthouse is Justitia, not Themis (illustration, above right).