SphynX_PHC
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THE GODDESS NEMESIS
GREEK MYTHOLOGY
Today, the idea of nemesis normally equates to an arch-enemy, but another dictionary definition of the word is “an inescapable agent of someone’s downfall”, and in Greek mythology there was a goddess who represented this agent, the Greek goddess Nemesis.
Nemesis daughter of Nyx
Nemesis is generally considered to be the daughter of the goddess Nyx (Night), something agreed upon in the Theogony (Hesiod) and Description of Greece (Pausanias) with no father normally mentioned. Occasionally a father of Nemesis is mentioned, this being Erebus (Darkness) the normal partner of Nyx.
This parentage would make Nemesis an early goddess of a generation that predates Zeus and the gods of Mount Olympus, at least in the Hesiod version of the genealogy of the gods.
The Role of Nemesis in Greek Mythology
Most sources would describe Nemesis as a beautiful maiden, often with wings to allow her to travel swiftly to where she was needed.
Nemesis was the Greek goddess of Retribution and the “dispenser of dues”, but she was more than a goddess dealing with evil doers, for Nemesis also ensured that there was balance in the life of man. It was Nemesis who ensured an equal balance of happiness and sadness, as well as good and bad luck; thus nemesis would often have to deal with the consequences when Tyche, Greek goddess of Good Fortune, was too generous.
Despite predating Zeus, Nemesis was often connected with the supreme deity, and it was she who was dispatched to deal with mortals who believed that they were superior to the gods.
Stories of the Goddess Nemesis
The most famous stories do not deal with the impious or those with a superiority complex, but deal instead with tales of spurned love.
It was the vengeance of Nemesis who was invoked by a spurned lover of Narcissus, either a nymph or Ameinias, when the self-centred youth callously rejected them. Nemesis would ensure that Narcissus would fall in love with his own reflection in a pool, and subsequently Narcissus would waste away as he looked longingly at himself.
Nemesis was also involved when the gods brought “justice” to the Naiad nymph Nicaea. A shepherd called Hymnus had fallen in love with the beautiful nymph, but wanting to remain chaste, Nicaea shot him through the heart.
Such an act angered Eros especially and with the assistance of Nemesis, Hypnos and Dionysus, retribution was brought for Dionysus slept with the nymph causing her to become *******t with Telete.
Children of Nemesis
It was commonly said that Nemesis herself had no offspring, although occasionally the Greek goddess was named as the mother of the Telechine by Tartarus. The Telechine were master metalworkers in legend but were more commonly thought of as children of Gaia, either by Pontus or Ouranos.
Some ancient sources also claim that the famous Helen of Greek mythology was a daughter of Nemesis born when Nemesis took the form of a swan with which Zeus mated. The result was an egg which Leda subsequently found and nurtured, though of course, Helen is more commonly thought of as a daughter of Zeus and Leda.
The Romans called Nemesis Invidia (Jealousy) and Rivalitas (Jealous Rivalry). In modern terms, a “nemesis” is one’s worst enemy.
Nemesis-stone rings were Amulets against evil. A Nemesis stone was a stone taken from an altar to Nemesis and engraved with her image. Placed under the stone were the tip of a duck wing and a piece of a mullein, called “death plant.” When this ring amulet was given to a person who was possessed, it caused the Demon to confess himself and flee. When worn around the neck, the ring warded off nightmares caused by Demons and protected children against Lamiae. The ring also cured “moonstruck” conditions (insanity). In order for the ring to work properly, the wearer had to avoid everything abominable and wicked. Lore also held that the ring would reveal the length of someone’s life and the manner of his or her death.
Nemesis Stones are stones taken from an altar of Nemesis. Stones are engraved with an image of Nemesis, usually in the form of a young woman standing with one foot on a wheel. They were worn as amulets around the neck and set into rings. They exorcise and ward off evil spirits as well as preventing and banishing nightmares and healing the moonstruck.
Nemesis serves as a personal goddess offering protection and sponsorship to devotees. Those who invoke her protection are expected to behave honorably and to uphold natural moral code.
Greek apocalyptic prophecy suggests that when humanity finally achieves maximum wickedness, Nemesis and Aidos, Goddess of Shame will abandon Earth, and then the hard times will really start. Nemesis hasn’t left yet and is still administering justice: German painter Alfred Rethel (15 May 1816–1 December 1859) painted her as an avenging angel in hot pursuit in his 1837 painting, “Nemesis Pursuing a Murderer.” According to legend, a high-ranking man with secret, undiscovered crimes on his conscience won Rethel’s painting in a Frankfurt lottery. Contemplation of Nemesis’ portrait allegedly drove him mad.
Manifestation:
Nemesis resembles modern images of angels. She is a winged, wreathed woman, usually dressed in white. She may also manifest as a griffin.
Iconography:
Egyptian faience amulets from the Roman period (circa second century CE) depicting Nemesis in the guise of a griffin with her wheel of fate were used to ward off bad luck.
Attributes:
Wheel of fate, cubit ruler, staff, branch laden with apples, hourglass, scales, bridle, scourge, sword
Spirit allies:
• Nemesis’ closest companion is Aidos, Goddess of Shame.
• Nemesis may be worshipped together with Themis, Goddess of Divine Order.
• Artemis is Nemesis’ good friend.
• Nemesis is often found in the company of Tyche, Goddess of Fortune, if only to ensure that people get what they deserve.
• Nemesis is the daughter of Nyx and sometimes identified as the secret mother of Helen of Troy. Images from her shrine at Rhamnous showed Leda presenting Helen to Nemesis.
Plant: Mullein
Creature: Griffins pull her chariot
GREEK MYTHOLOGY
Today, the idea of nemesis normally equates to an arch-enemy, but another dictionary definition of the word is “an inescapable agent of someone’s downfall”, and in Greek mythology there was a goddess who represented this agent, the Greek goddess Nemesis.
Nemesis daughter of Nyx
Nemesis is generally considered to be the daughter of the goddess Nyx (Night), something agreed upon in the Theogony (Hesiod) and Description of Greece (Pausanias) with no father normally mentioned. Occasionally a father of Nemesis is mentioned, this being Erebus (Darkness) the normal partner of Nyx.
This parentage would make Nemesis an early goddess of a generation that predates Zeus and the gods of Mount Olympus, at least in the Hesiod version of the genealogy of the gods.
The Role of Nemesis in Greek Mythology
Most sources would describe Nemesis as a beautiful maiden, often with wings to allow her to travel swiftly to where she was needed.
Nemesis was the Greek goddess of Retribution and the “dispenser of dues”, but she was more than a goddess dealing with evil doers, for Nemesis also ensured that there was balance in the life of man. It was Nemesis who ensured an equal balance of happiness and sadness, as well as good and bad luck; thus nemesis would often have to deal with the consequences when Tyche, Greek goddess of Good Fortune, was too generous.
Despite predating Zeus, Nemesis was often connected with the supreme deity, and it was she who was dispatched to deal with mortals who believed that they were superior to the gods.
Stories of the Goddess Nemesis
The most famous stories do not deal with the impious or those with a superiority complex, but deal instead with tales of spurned love.
It was the vengeance of Nemesis who was invoked by a spurned lover of Narcissus, either a nymph or Ameinias, when the self-centred youth callously rejected them. Nemesis would ensure that Narcissus would fall in love with his own reflection in a pool, and subsequently Narcissus would waste away as he looked longingly at himself.
Nemesis was also involved when the gods brought “justice” to the Naiad nymph Nicaea. A shepherd called Hymnus had fallen in love with the beautiful nymph, but wanting to remain chaste, Nicaea shot him through the heart.
Such an act angered Eros especially and with the assistance of Nemesis, Hypnos and Dionysus, retribution was brought for Dionysus slept with the nymph causing her to become *******t with Telete.
Children of Nemesis
It was commonly said that Nemesis herself had no offspring, although occasionally the Greek goddess was named as the mother of the Telechine by Tartarus. The Telechine were master metalworkers in legend but were more commonly thought of as children of Gaia, either by Pontus or Ouranos.
Some ancient sources also claim that the famous Helen of Greek mythology was a daughter of Nemesis born when Nemesis took the form of a swan with which Zeus mated. The result was an egg which Leda subsequently found and nurtured, though of course, Helen is more commonly thought of as a daughter of Zeus and Leda.
The Romans called Nemesis Invidia (Jealousy) and Rivalitas (Jealous Rivalry). In modern terms, a “nemesis” is one’s worst enemy.
Nemesis-stone rings were Amulets against evil. A Nemesis stone was a stone taken from an altar to Nemesis and engraved with her image. Placed under the stone were the tip of a duck wing and a piece of a mullein, called “death plant.” When this ring amulet was given to a person who was possessed, it caused the Demon to confess himself and flee. When worn around the neck, the ring warded off nightmares caused by Demons and protected children against Lamiae. The ring also cured “moonstruck” conditions (insanity). In order for the ring to work properly, the wearer had to avoid everything abominable and wicked. Lore also held that the ring would reveal the length of someone’s life and the manner of his or her death.
Nemesis Stones are stones taken from an altar of Nemesis. Stones are engraved with an image of Nemesis, usually in the form of a young woman standing with one foot on a wheel. They were worn as amulets around the neck and set into rings. They exorcise and ward off evil spirits as well as preventing and banishing nightmares and healing the moonstruck.
Nemesis serves as a personal goddess offering protection and sponsorship to devotees. Those who invoke her protection are expected to behave honorably and to uphold natural moral code.
Greek apocalyptic prophecy suggests that when humanity finally achieves maximum wickedness, Nemesis and Aidos, Goddess of Shame will abandon Earth, and then the hard times will really start. Nemesis hasn’t left yet and is still administering justice: German painter Alfred Rethel (15 May 1816–1 December 1859) painted her as an avenging angel in hot pursuit in his 1837 painting, “Nemesis Pursuing a Murderer.” According to legend, a high-ranking man with secret, undiscovered crimes on his conscience won Rethel’s painting in a Frankfurt lottery. Contemplation of Nemesis’ portrait allegedly drove him mad.
Manifestation:
Nemesis resembles modern images of angels. She is a winged, wreathed woman, usually dressed in white. She may also manifest as a griffin.
Iconography:
Egyptian faience amulets from the Roman period (circa second century CE) depicting Nemesis in the guise of a griffin with her wheel of fate were used to ward off bad luck.
Attributes:
Wheel of fate, cubit ruler, staff, branch laden with apples, hourglass, scales, bridle, scourge, sword
Spirit allies:
• Nemesis’ closest companion is Aidos, Goddess of Shame.
• Nemesis may be worshipped together with Themis, Goddess of Divine Order.
• Artemis is Nemesis’ good friend.
• Nemesis is often found in the company of Tyche, Goddess of Fortune, if only to ensure that people get what they deserve.
• Nemesis is the daughter of Nyx and sometimes identified as the secret mother of Helen of Troy. Images from her shrine at Rhamnous showed Leda presenting Helen to Nemesis.
Plant: Mullein
Creature: Griffins pull her chariot