. From mother Gaia she received the Delphic oracle, where she gave predictions, which she passed on to her sister Phoebe, who gave it to her grandson Apollo.
Themis helps Zeus unleash the Trojan War. Calls the gods to council.
Themis was the first to teach divination, sacrifices and divine rites. According to some, she invented the heroic hexameter. She raised the piety of the Indians.
In Olympia, near Stomion (Zev, Hole), near the altar of Gaia with her oracle and the altar of Zeus, there was an altar of Themis. As the goddess of Olympic mythology, Themis is no longer identified with the earth, but is its offspring, as well as wife of Zeus as the basis of law and order.
Themis was a great goddess, who ruled the 13-month year divided into two seasons by the summer and winter solstices. In Athens, these seasons were personified by Tallo and Karpo, which respectively means the deities of "blooming" and "ripe fruit". Orphic hymn LXXIX is dedicated to her.
Symbolism
, . scales good and evil, The cornucopia in the hand of Themis - symbol retribution or non-retribution brought before her court.
allegorically: Themis - justice, law; , Justice sword.
During the reconstruction of the building of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, a sculpture of Themis, the work of the sculptor Alexander Tsigal, was installed above the entrance to the complex from the side of Bolshoy Rzhevsky Lane, on whose face there is no bandage - a symbol of impartiality, which caused numerous critical publications in the press.
Themis without a blindfold is mentioned by V. A. Gilyarovsky in"Moscow and Muscovites"".
Rice. one. Themis with weights and Roman sword ". Statuette. " Themis(Θέμις), in ancient myth-making, the ancient Greek goddess of justice and lawful order, titanide, organizer and guardian of moral foundations and the whole structure of life , daughter of Uranus and Gaia, after the goddess Metis second lawful wife of Zeus, mother ohr and moir (goddesses of fate) (Hesiod, Theogony, 135, 901-906). Goddess Themis was the mother of numerous offspring. Her daughters were goddesses of fate — moira and goddesses of the seasons — ora or the mountains. According to one version of the myth, Themis is the mother of Prometheus. Possessing the gift of divination, Themis reveals to Prometheus the secret that Marriage of Zeus to Thetis will lead to the birth of a son who will overthrow the supreme thunder god. Her prediction upset Thetis' marriage to Zeus. In the myth of Prometheus it is told that the hero discovered this secret only after thousands of years of torment, to which Zeus doomed him (Aeschylus, Prometheus, 18). From mother Gaia Themis received Delphic oracle, which the passed on to her sister Phoebe, she gave it « soothsayer » to his grandson Apollo (Aeschylus, Eumenides, 2-8). According to Ovid she warned Atlas that one day the son of Zeus would steal apples from his daughters of the Hesperides . According to Homer she acts as the herald of the supreme god Zeus on Olympus , convenes gods to meetings, presides at the feasts of the celestials. In meaning advisers of the supreme Olympic god , sitting near his throne, she often appears in post-Hesiodian poetic works. Thanks to the cares of Themis, external order is maintained both in the life of the gods on Olympus and among people on earth. , and the very name of the goddess also used to denote the abstract concept of legal norms (θέμιστες), regulating human life . Under her patronage are all those seeking hospitality, the oppressed, the victims of injustice . In works of art, Themis was depicted with a bandage ( a symbol of impartiality) in front of, with a sword, sometimes with a cornucopia and scales in hand. In Olympia, the inhabitants of ancient Greece put altars to Zeus, Gaia and Themis nearby , which shows how they honored this goddess of law and order».
A COMMENT:
This is where it starts the first mystery in the image of the goddess of justice Themis next to or riding an ostrich .
Rice. 2. Themis Luca Giordano, 1686. In the picture, the goddess of justice Themis is depicted " standing on
or next to an ostrich?! Where does this symbolic image come from? Ostrich as a symbol: "Symbol of avoiding problems:"
". In the Australian coat of arms ostrich Emu is an shield holder
with a kangaroo". However, this expression is bury your head in the sand like an ostrich
» wrong. "African ostrich(lat. Struthio camelus) - keelless flightless bird, the only modern representative of the ostrich family (Struthinodae). "sparrow-camel" (Greek στρουθίο-κάμηλος). legend, that a frightened ostrich hides its head in the sand
, probably comes from the fact that a female ostrich sitting on a nest, in case of danger, spreads her neck and head on the ground, trying to become invisible against the background of the surrounding savannah. Ostriches do the same when they see predators. If you approach such a hidden bird, it instantly jumps up and runs away. “The common opinion that ostriches hide their heads in the sand to escape predators originates in the works of the Roman scientist Pliny the Elder, in whose notes we read: “ostriches imagine that when they stick their heads and necks into the ground, their whole body seems to be hidden » ». The ostrich habitat covers the dry, treeless expanses of Africa and the Middle East, including Iraq (Mesopotamia), Iran (Persia) and Arabia. However, due to intensive hunting, their population has been greatly reduced. Near Eastern subspecies
, S. c. syriacus, is considered extinct since the city. Even earlier, in the Pleistocene and Pliocene, various types of ostriches were common in Western Asia, in the south of Eastern Europe, in Central Asia and in India. Beautiful flight and tail feathers of ostriches have long been in demand - they were used to make fans, fans and plumes of headdresses. The strong shell of ostrich eggs was used by African tribes as vessels for water, and in Europe beautiful goblets were made from these eggs. Because of the feathers that went to decorate ladies' hats and on fans, ostriches were almost exterminated.
in the XVIII - early XIX centuries. If in the middle of the XIX century. ostriches were not bred on farms, then by now they might have been completely exterminated, how the Middle Eastern subspecies of the ostrich was exterminated».
Rice. 3. « African ostrich- the largest of modern birds: its height reaches 250 cm, weight up to 150 kg. The ostrich has a dense physique, a long neck and a small flattened head. The beak is straight, flat, with a horny " claw» on the mandible, rather soft. The eyes are large - the largest among land animals, with thick eyelashes on the upper eyelid. Each eye is the size of a brain. The mouth opening reaches the eyes. … Hind limbs are long and strong, with just two fingers
. One of the fingers ends with a likeness horny hoof — the bird leans on it when running. … Ostrich lives in open savannas and semi-deserts, north and south of the equatorial forest zone. Outside of the mating season, ostriches are usually kept in small flocks or families. The family consists of an adult male, four or five females and chicks. Often, ostriches graze along with herds of zebras and antelopes, and together with them make long migrations across the African plains. Thanks to your growth and great eyesight, ostriches are the first to notice the danger. In case of danger, they rush to flight, developing speed up to 60-70 km/h
and taking steps in 3.5-4 m wide, and if necessary, abruptly change the direction of the run without slowing down. The young ostriches at the age of one month
may run at speeds up to 50 km/h
. Plants are a common food for ostriches.- shoots, flowers, seeds, fruits, but on occasion they also eat small animals - insects (locusts), reptiles, rodents and leftovers from predators' meals. Young birds eat only animal food.. In captivity, an ostrich needs about 3.5 kg of food per day.. Since ostriches have no teeth, to grind food in the stomach, they swallow small pebbles, and often everything they come across: nails, pieces of wood, iron, plastic, etc. Ostriches can go without water for a long time, getting moisture from the food they eat. plants, but on occasion they willingly drink and like to swim. Now ostriches are bred in more than 50 countries of the world.
(including cold climates such as Sweden), but most of their farms are still concentrated in South Africa. You can ride ostriches. An adult male carries a person without difficulty. (Perhaps the ancients thought that ostrich
« riding
» Themis bird? Note. ed.) Currently, ostriches are bred mainly for the sake of expensive skin and meat. Ostrich meat resembles lean beef - it is lean and low in cholesterol. Additional products are eggs and feathers. Feathers from birds are not pulled out, but once or twice a year they are carefully cut close to the skin.. Only two-three-year-old and older ostriches are suitable for such an operation - young birds have invaluable feathers.. (It's interesting that) An ostrich has bigger eyes than its brain. Most of the coats of arms of Poland have ostrich feathers in the crest.
Rice. 4. « Ostrich- a polygamous bird. Most often, ostriches can be found in groups of 3-5 birds - one male and several females. ... The dominant male covers all the females in the "harem", but forms a pair only with a dominant female and hatches chicks with her
. (How does it look like the "tricks" of Zeus! Note. ed.). All females lay their eggs in a common nesting hole, which the male scrapes out in the ground or in the sand. Its depth is only 30-60 cm. Ostrich eggs are the largest in the bird world, although they are small relative to the size of the bird itself: the length of the egg is 15-21 cm, the weight is from 1.5 to 2 kg (this is about 25-36 chicken eggs ). The shell of ostrich eggs is very thick - 0.6 cm, its color is usually straw yellow, rarely darker or white. In North Africa, the total clutch usually consists of 15-20 eggs, in the south of the mainland - from 30, in East Africa the number of eggs reaches 50-60. Each female lays eggs, apparently once every 2 days.
When the dominant female has laid all the eggs, she demands that the rest of the females leave, rolls her own eggs into the center of the clutch (she distinguishes them by the texture of the shell) and proceeds to incubate. … The female, having laid eggs, never approaches them again.. All care is taken by the male father . Often during the day, eggs are left unattended and heated by the rays of the sun. Incubation lasts 35-45 days. However, often many eggs, and sometimes all, die due to under-incubation. Only the male incubates the eggs. The chick cracks the strong shell of an ostrich egg for about an hour, sometimes more. It rests with one foot on the blunt end of the egg, with the other foot on the sharp one, and beats with its beak in one place until a small hole appears. Then he does so a few more holes. Then, in order to break his way out, the chick hits the shell with the back of his head, therefore, African ostrich chicks hatch with hematomas on the back of the head, which quickly pass. When the chicks hatch, the adult bird breaks the eggs, which are definitely spoiled (usually they lie on the edges). Flies flock to them, which serve as food for the chicks. ... Ostriches hatch sighted, covered with down and capable of movement. A newly hatched ostrich weighs approx. 1.2 kg, and by four months reaches 18-19 kg. The chicks leave the nest the day after hatching and travel with their father in search of food.. (Here, it turns out, how not just to get life in the Material World?! Note. ed.)
So, our studies of the correspondence Ostrich as a symbol , associated with Themis , were practically unsuccessful. As a result, left for reflection are ostrich qualities : beautiful, graceful, sharp-eyed, vegetarian and not aggressive. Hardy, strong, fast, prolific. They have beautiful feathers, delicious meat, the ability to breed in captivity, centenarians, are attached to humans and to each other. Seniors take responsibility for guarding and nurturing " ostriches - children ":" Ostriches become capable of breeding at 2-4 years. African ostriches live like people, that is, an average of 75 years. The chicks are tightly attached to each other. If two groups of chicks are too close, then they mix, and they can no longer be separated. Parents fight each other. The winners take care of all the chicks. Therefore, groups of chicks of different ages are often found. Learn about this the opinion of the artist painting Themis Luca Giordano, 1686 we can't either. Note that the name of the Ostrich in Greek: " Its scientific name in Greek means "sparrow-camel" (Greek στρουθίο-κάμηλος)". However, everything we have learned about features "ostrich, this is interesting and can serve as positive characteristics of these birds for" symbol» the goddess of justice Themis.
Let's continue our research :
In our work on the site, the section " mediterranean”: we talked about the hierarchical statuses of the Greek gods by writing in Greek their “ names» into the matrix of the Universe. There we also learned that Mount Olympus on which all the Olympian gods exist " situated» also in the matrix of the Universe. In fact, this is the same mountain that is called the mountain in the Vedas. Meru (Sumeru) – .
Rice. 5. The figure shows: 1. The name of Mount Olympus - " OLYMPOS". The arc bracket at the top left shows the position in the Upper world of the Name matrix Brahma. 2. Names in Greek of the Olympian gods Zeus – « Zeus" and Poseidon – « POSEIDON in the order in which the brothers divided the Universe among themselves. Both "Names" occupy the space of the matrix from the 21st level of the Upper world to the 15th level of the Lower world of the matrix of the Universe. The Matrix of the Universe was the sacred basis for the creation of the entire pantheon of the "Names" of the Greek gods the ancient sages. This secret" names"The gods and the sacred mountain in the matrix of the Universe, the Greeks borrowed from the Egyptian priests.
Rice. 6. The figure similar to the previous one shows the entry in Greek " name» the goddess of justice Themis into the matrix of the Universe. " Themis, Themis(other Greek Θέμις) - in ancient Greek mythology, the goddess of justice, titanide, second wife Zeus." The arc bracket at the top left shows the position in the Upper World of the matrix " name» Themis. « Name» Themis– Themis occupies the space of the matrix from the 15th level of the Upper World to the 1st level inclusive of the Upper World of the matrix of the Universe. On the left of " name» Themis outline drawing shown « correct» image of Themis with a sword and scales in her hands. About why it correct»The image of Themis will be described below. The rest of the details of the images and " names” are clearly visible in the figure.
Consider a number of different images of Themis known from literary (Internet) sources.
Rice. 7. The figure shows contour images of the goddess of justice Themis. We know that " Themis is always depicted with a blindfold as a symbol of impartiality., with a cornucopia and scales in his hands. scales- an ancient symbol of measure and justice. On the scales of justice are weighed good and evil, deeds done by mortals in life. The posthumous fate of people depended on which cup would outweigh. The cornucopia in the hand of Themis
- symbol retribution
or non-retribution
brought before her court. allegorically: Themis - justice, law; scales of Themis - a symbol of justice; servants (priests) of Themis - servants of the law, judges. The Romans borrowed the goddess of justice from the Greeks in their world
, but instead of a cornucopia they put it in the right hand
Justice sword". Consider below in Figure 8 - a separate contour drawing in the upper right corner. It is convenient for research, since the goddess is standing in front of us in front.
Rice. eight. From the results of our research sacred symbols» in the mass of our articles on the site, we know that the ancient sages built images « symbols» based on a sacred basis, which was matrix of the Universe. Not only the goddess Themis herself, but also every object in the drawing of the ancients was a sacred symbol associated with the matrix of the Universe. Such symbols are sword and scales in the hands of the goddess. From the result of combining the contour drawing of Themis, which is shown in the upper right corner of the previous figure, we see that the position of the sword is arbitrary, and the scales " justice» go beyond the boundaries of the Upper world of the matrix of the Universe. The crown of Themis's head should be combined with the 15th level of the Upper world of the matrix of the Universe, since from this level its “recorded” Name» above in figure 6. So we combined in this figure the contour image of the body of the goddess of justice Themis. On the right, arc brackets describe the space in the Upper world of the matrix of the Universe, where there are myriads Shower - Jiv Living creatures. We, in particular, told about this at the end of the work section " Egyptology» — .
Rice. 9. The picture shows our graphically edited outline image goddess of justice Themis. Sword in her hand" got» its symbolic meaning. He " tied» to the parameters of the matrix of the Universe (inclination angle). Its end reaches the 14th level of the Upper world of the matrix of the Universe and indicates the priority of the Upper world over the Lower world of the matrix of the Universe. At this level is bandage on the eyes of Themis. Bandage has the following symbolic meaning - " Goddess does not need eyes to see the deeds and destinies of Souls - Jiv
», which are subject Themis. scales found their place within the Upper world of the matrix of the Universe. The feet of the goddess reach the first level of the Upper world of the matrix. The image shown on the left Themis holding in her hands Cornucopia". From understanding the Priority of the Upper World ( Of the invisible world) over the Lower World (Visible World) follows an almost obvious conclusion ( this discovery), which is under " cornucopia» ancient sages understood the pyramid of the Upper world of the matrix of the Universe. In the figure, bold arrows show the outer boundaries of " cornucopia". The sacred meaning cornucopia' can be expressed as follows: Everything originates or flows from the Upper world of the matrix of the Universe as from the Horn of Plenty
". Each Soul, embodied or not, receives " wealth of life
" how blessing or how temptation.
A few words about modern understanding « cornucopia»: « Cornucopia(lat. cornucopiae) - symbol of abundance and wealth. It is depicted for the most part curved, filled with flowers, fruits, and the like (or spewing them and all sorts of blessings). In works of fine art, it is put into the hands of the little Plutos (the god of wealth in ancient Greek mythology), Fortune, Gaia, also Hercules. In architecture, it is depicted on capitals and cornices, especially of the Corinthian order, also above vaults, under windows and similar building elements.
The idea of a cornucopia is borrowed from ancient Greek mythology, in which it belongs to the goat Amalthea or Aheloy who turned into a bull (Amalthein's horn, Amaltheev's horn). The expression as a proverb is already found in the poet of the VI century BC. e. Fokylida: " after all, the field, they say, is the horn of Amalthea» . The cornucopia was in the right hand of the goddess of justice Themis .
The cornucopia is depicted on the state emblems of Colombia, and Kharkov.
“In more ancient times, the cornucopia (like everything that had to do with wealth) was associated with by Hades, the realm of the dead. The cornucopia belonged to the god of wealth Plutus. The linguistic proximity of the names is not accidental. Plutus(Πλο ῦτος) and Pluto(Πλούτων), lords of the realm of the dead. In its early form, Pluto, like Pluto, is associated with Persephone. In the Eleusinian mysteries, Pluto and Pluto were identified. The latter was thought to be the owner of innumerable underground riches.
These are the secrets of the goddess of justice Themis we learned with the help of knowledge about the sacred basis « vego », known to the ancient sages , as the matrix of the Universe.
More detailed information about the matrix of the Universe can be obtained by reading the articles on the website in the section " Egyptology» - and - Pan's Python. Turning into a dolphin, he brought the ship into
One comment: “Secrets of the goddess of justice Themis in the matrix of the Universe”
An article about Themis reveals amazing secrets! Greek mythology appears in a completely different form - not a collection of "soap operas" about the Olympic gods, but a holistic description of the Universe. For me, at last, the secret of the "Cornucopia of Themis" was revealed. It turns out that this is a sacred symbol denoting the Upper world of the matrix of the Universe or, as the author calls it, the “Invisible World”! The image of Themis is also a sacred symbol, pointing to the spaces of the Divine Universe - the "Cornucopia", where retribution is made: punishment or reward for souls. The bandage on the eyes of Themis indicates that the goddess sees everything in its true light with "other divine eyes" that cannot be deceived. In fact, Themis herself is in the "Cornucopia" and she herself sends gifts and punishments to people from there to the "Visible World".
The Romans, instead of a cornucopia, put a sword into Themis's right hand (it just reaches the 14th level of the Upper World, Fig. 9), personifying punishment, reducing the role of Themis to a punishing goddess. The Greek priests did not put such a one-sided meaning into the role of this goddess of the Universe. Confirmation of this: “Themis is the daughter of Uranus and Gaia, the Titanides. The second wife of Zeus after the goddess of wisdom Metis (Metis).
According to Musaeus, she nursed Zeus (more precisely, raised). From the union with Zeus, she gave birth to three Or: Eunomia ("goodness"), Dike ("justice") and Eirene ("Peace"); and, according to one of the variants of the myth, three Moiras: Cloto (“Spinner”), Lachesis (“Fate”), Atropos (“Inevitable”).
Ores, Mountains, Horas (ancient Greek Ὥραι, "Times") - goddesses of the seasons in ancient Greek mythology, were in charge of order in nature. Daughters of Zeus and Themis (or daughters of Helios and Selena). Guardians of Olympus, now opening, then closing its cloudy gates. They are called gatekeepers of heaven. Orrs harness the horses of Helios.
So that Themis, together with her daughters, is the goddess of "Time in the Universe"! There is a time for everything, as the Ecclesiastes or the Preacher said - God is the Judge. Eccl. (3. 1:17):
“Ch.3.
1. There is a time for everything, and a time for every thing under heaven:
2. a time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted;
3. a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to destroy, and a time to build;
4. a time to cry and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5. a time to scatter stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to hug, and a time to avoid hugging;
6. time to seek, and time to lose; a time to save, and a time to throw;
7. a time to tear apart, and a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to speak;
8. a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.
9. What is the benefit of the worker from what he is working on?
10. I saw this care that God gave to the sons of men, so that they would exercise in this.
11. He made everything beautiful in its time, and put peace in their hearts, although man cannot comprehend the works that God does, from beginning to end.
12. I knew that there is nothing better for them than to have fun and do good in their lives.
13. And if any man eats and drinks, and sees good in all his labor, then this is a gift of God.
14. I knew that everything that God does endures forever: there is nothing to add to it and nothing to take away from it - and God does it in such a way that they revere before His face.
15. What was, is now, and what will be, has already been, and God will call on the past.
16. I also saw under the sun: a place of judgment, and there iniquity; a place of truth, and there is untruth.
17. And I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked; because the time for every thing and [judgment] over every deed is there.” …
Goddess of justice in Greek mythology. The second wife of the Thunderer, agreed with him after Zeus swallowed his first wife, the goddess of wisdom Metis. In ancient Rome, the "analogue" of Themis is the goddess of justice Justitia. Themis is mentioned in the Odyssey.
History of appearance
Themis is an ancient deity from the generation of titans, the daughter of the sky god Uranus and the goddess of the earth Gaia. The children of the titanide Themis herself from Zeus - the goddess of the seasons Ora, who are responsible for the order in nature. Three of them serve as gatekeepers at the gates of Olympus.
One of Or is the goddess of truth, Dike, who, like her mother, uses scales as an attribute. Dike observes the world of people, where he notices all manifestations of injustice and lies and hurries to inform Zeus, his father, about this. According to one version of the myth, the goddess Dike lived among people during the Golden Age, but then ascended to heaven, and her scales turned into the constellation Libra.
Another Ora - the goddess of the seasons Karpo - became the companion of the goddess of love. Karpo is depicted as a young beauty who is adorned with fruits. It seems that the goddess of flowering Fallo, also Ora, was depicted. In art, this goddess often appeared as a captivating young girl with an apron filled with flowers.
Another daughter of Themis - Eunomia - was responsible for law and order and good law. Another - Eirene - for peace. A bloodless sacrifice was made to the goddess Eirene in Athens, and after the conclusion of peace with Sparta, an altar was erected to this goddess. Eirene was portrayed along with the god of wealth Plutos. It symbolized the fact that peace leads to prosperity.
Moira, the goddess of fate, is also the daughter of Themis. The ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus also writes that Themis is the mother of Prometheus, the rebellious titan who protected people from the arbitrariness of the gods.
Themis has the gift of divination and is involved in the myth of the origin of the Delphic oracle. Mother Earth Gaia gave this oracle to Themis, so that she would give predictions there. Themis then gave the oracle to her own sister, and she gave it to the god who was her grandson.
On Olympus, Themis serves as herald, announcing the will of Zeus and convening the council of the gods. The heroine also conveys the orders of Zeus to people. With the help of Themis, Zeus unleashed the Trojan War.
Themis and law
Themis is the personification of the law, fair, punishing, uniform for all and impartial. This is expressed by the attributes with which Themis is depicted and associated - a blindfold, a sword and scales. However, this way of depicting Themis came already from Ancient Rome.
The Greeks themselves originally portrayed the goddess with a cornucopia in one hand and scales in the other, and Themis' eyes were not covered with a bandage. Scales in this version symbolized justice and measure. Themis weighed on the scales the deeds of people committed by them during their lifetime in order to determine the measure of good and evil in those, and thus decide the posthumous fate of a person. The cornucopia in this case symbolizes the reward that a person will receive or not receive after his actions are weighed and evaluated.
The ancient Romans introduced their own ideas into the symbolism of Themis. In Roman mythology, the cornucopia in the hands of the goddess was replaced by a punishing sword, which symbolized retribution and supreme justice. The Romans portrayed the sword in the hands of Themis with the tip up to emphasize the readiness of the goddess to use the weapon at any moment. Together with the new interpretation, the goddess received a new name - Justice.
The cult of Justice spread in Rome during the time of the emperor Tiberius, who dedicated a statue to the goddess. In addition to the goddess of justice, in ancient Rome there was also a separate goddess of justice - Equitas. The cult of this goddess was established during the Empire. She was depicted on coins as a woman leaning on a spear in a long robe, with scales or a cornucopia in her hand.
The blindfold on the eyes of the goddess appeared later, in the Middle Ages. This attribute symbolized not blind cruelty, as one might think, but the fact that Themis is impartial, blind to wealth, regalia, position and repays people only by right.
- Another interpretation of the image of Themis was given by sculptors who created a statue of the Greek goddess, located near the building of the Supreme Court in Moscow. After the reconstruction, a figure of Themis without a blindfold appeared above one of the entrances to the building. Since the bandage is a symbol of impartiality, a lot of critical comments immediately appeared on this occasion, including those published in the press. The creators of the sculpture, as it turned out, in this way wanted to make it clear that justice is not blind and not cruel.
- Another innovation - a shield in the hands of the figure, which she holds instead of a sword or horn - also raised questions. According to the authors, this should symbolize that the justice system protects people, and does not punish everyone who had to face it.
Themis, in ancient Greek mythology, the goddess of justice.
The Greeks called the goddess by different names, such as Themida, Themis.
Themis was the daughter of the sky god Uranus and Gaia, the second wife of Zeus and the mother of numerous offspring.
Her daughters were the goddesses of fate - moira.
Sculpture of Themis in Switzerland.
Themis is depicted with a blindfold, as a symbol of impartiality, with a sword and scales in her hands (sometimes with a cornucopia). Libra is an ancient symbol of measure and justice. Good and evil, deeds committed by mortals during life, are weighed on the scales of justice. The posthumous fate of people depended on which cup would outweigh. The sword in the hands of Themis is a symbol of retribution. It is double-edged, because the law not only punishes, but also warns.
Justice Carlo Cesari in Freiburg.
Themis was a great goddess who ruled over a 13-month year divided into two seasons by the summer and winter solstices. In Athens, these seasons were personified by Tallo and Karpo, which respectively means the deities of "blooming" and "ripe fruit".
Kazakh Themis with the face of Nazarbayev's mother!!!
So depicted Themis thin. Dali 1977.
Everyone who comes to the Moscow City Court is met by Themis, personifying the impartiality of justice
Sighted Themis. at the Supreme Court of Russia. Moscow st. Povarskaya 15.
The Supreme Court of Russia came up with their own goddess of justice! When the design program was being prepared, the court itself said that “our Themis cannot be with her eyes closed, because she sees everything and knows everything,” Yury Milaev, chief architect of the reconstruction project of the Supreme Court, was taken aback. “That is, it was decided not to adhere to the ancient Greek canons.” And to the astonished question: what, in fact, is impartiality? - the architect calmly explained: “If you notice, our Themis is without a sword, that is, she doesn’t cut or beat anyone.”
Conversation in front of the statue of justice in the Supreme Court:
Why is Themis blindfolded?
- So that she judges, regardless of the faces.
“Then she still needs to plug her ears so that she can judge without listening to instructions.
- To complete the effect, she still needs to chop off her hands so that she judges without taking on her paw.
- Why are you mocking the poor woman? She already has a disabled person of the first group on her head.
Painters draw;
The ancient gods have left their mark on many aspects of modern life. One of these images, passing through the centuries, is Themis. This is a modern symbol of the legal and the entire legal system, the image of the ancient goddess symbolizes the judicial system in many countries of the world.
ancient gods
The idea that justice is the privilege of a deity hovered in ancient Egypt. Known (Ma), which is the eye of Osiris, was a symbol of truth and justice.
The symbol of the Egyptian goddess was a feather. Her figurine was an obligatory attribute of the judge's attire - it was hung around the neck, believing that it would help to make the right and fair decision. Other incarnations of justice possessed similar features. In general, although the court has always personified a man, justice in many religions was personified by a woman - the daughter, wife or sister of God.
goddess of justice
The mythology of ancient times did not escape this trend and also made the goddess a symbol of justice. The female image of truth and justice is also present in later religions. Themis is the goddess of the pantheon of ancient Greece, personifying law and legal order in all earthly affairs. She came from the Titans and was the daughter of Gaia and Uranus. The goddess Themis is the first wife of Zeus. From marriage with the lord of Olympus, moiras were born - the arbiters of fate. Themis always sits at the right hand of Zeus, gives him advice, announces the verdict.
Of course, such an important deity could not do without its own symbols. The main attributes of justice were the scales and the sword. The scales of Themis is an emblem of justice, a balanced decision. Sword - a symbol These symbols are still used in judicial symbols of different countries.
Themis and Justice
Like any Greek deity, the goddess of justice had her own counterpart in the Roman pantheon. She turned out to be the great Justitia - the Roman goddess of justice. The modern figurine, symbolizing a fair trial, is rather Justice, and not Themis. This judgment is confirmed by an additional attribute - a blindfold, which symbolizes equality and impartiality. Themis among the Greeks judged with open eyes. So a curious incident arose: in the modern world, the goddess of justice is called Themis, but is portrayed as Justice.
Image of Themis
In general, the modern goddess Themis is necessarily depicted as a woman full of dignity, in a long robe, with a bandage over her eyes.
In her left hand she holds a scale, in her right she holds a sword. The tip of the sword is exposed, but lowered. The sword and scales are among the main symbols of justice, the history of which is so ancient that it would be naive to attribute such a visual emblem only to the ancient Greeks. Most likely, this emblem came to the shores of the Aegean Sea from some ancient, half-forgotten religion. The latest symbols are the bandage and the mantle - they are present only in the Roman Justice.
The sword is the oldest symbol of spiritual and physical strength. The sword that Themis holds in his hands is a symbol of just punishment. the blade of the sword is double-edged - after all, the law not only punishes the guilty, but also prevents crimes. It is also symbolic that the goddess holds the sword in her right hand - this is a symbol of "just cause", faith in justice.
Libra is the oldest emblem of measure and justice. Evidence of guilt and innocence, good and evil is constantly balancing on the scales of justice. Libra is in the left hand, responsible for intuition and sensations.
The mantle is a ritual, identical attire, designed to perform certain ceremonial actions, in this case, justice, the symbol of which is Themis. This robe emphasizes the importance of a judge wearing a robe in the performance of his duties, reserving civilian dress for mundane matters.
Symbolizes impartiality. A fair court must turn a blind eye to property and class differences and consider only fair facts. When considering a case, the judge must be blind, in the sense that both the plaintiff and the defendant are only reflections of the facets of the law for him.
Such a multifaceted perception of the symbols of the goddess of justice only emphasizes the ancient craving of mankind for justice. And the divine essence of Themis reflects the eternal desire for the final, highest judgment, which, according to many beliefs, awaits us at the end of life's journey.
