| Themis Biography |
| Themis is one of the
most important of the lesser gods of Olympus. She was the daughter of Uranus
and Gaea and belonged to the race of Titans which the
Olympians had supplanted. Far from sharing the disgrace of her brothers, Themis never
ceased to be honored on Olympus. Indeed, at the beginning of his reign Zeus
had chosen her for his wife. The Moerae, they said, had brought her to Zeus from the
far-off regions where Uranus dwelt. Later when Hera became the wife of Zeus, Themis
remained at his side to offer counsel and service. It seems that Hera took no offense at
this; when Hera arrived in the assembly of the gods it was from the hand of Themis that
she receive the cup of nectar. Themis’s mission on Olympus was not only to maintain order but also to regulate the ceremonial; she invited the gods to forgather and prepared their feasts. She was helpful and obliging and was said to receive the infant of Zeus from Rhea when Rhea wished to shelter him for the voracity of his father Cronus. Later she presided over the laborious birth of Apollo and Artemis. On earth her province was also extensive, above all she was the goddess of justice. She is represented as a woman of grave countenance and austere features. Her attribute is an air of scales. She protected the just; hence, her epithet Soteria (the Protectress) and punished the guilty. In her name and according to her advice judges gave their verdicts. Themis was also goddess of wisdom and was called Euboulos (the good counselor). Under this title she presided over public assemblies. Finally, since she was the interpreter of gods' will she had the gift of delivering oracles. It was she who, after the deluge, suggested to Deucalion the means of repeopling the earth. |
| Return to the picture of the Themis image |