Nemesis the mother of Helen
"Rich-haired Nemesis gave birth to her [Helen] when she had been
joined in love with Zeus the king of the gods by harsh violence. For
Nemesis tried to escape him and liked not to lie in love with her
father Zeus the son of Kronos; for shame and indignation vexed her
heart: therefore she fled him over the land and fruitless dark sea. But
Zeus ever pursued and longed in his heart to catch her. Now she took
the form of a fish and sped over the waves of the loud-roaring sea, and
now over Okeanos' stream and the furthest bounds of Earth, and now she
sped over the furrowed land, always turning into such dread creatures
as the dry land nurtures, that she might escape him." - Hegesias of Aegina, Cypria Fragment 8
Nemesis the mother of Helen
"Constellation Swan. When Jupiter [Zeus], moved by desire, had begun to
love Nemesis, and couldn’t persuade her to lie with him, he relieved
his passion by the following plan. He bade Venus [Aphrodite], in the
form of an eagle, pursue him; he, changed to a swan, as if in flight
from the eagle, took refuge with Nemesis and lighted in her lap.
Nemesis did not thrust him away, but holding him in her arms, fell into
a deep sleep. While she slept, Jupiter [Zeus] embraced her, and then
flew away. Because he was seen by men flying high in the sky, they said
he was put in the stars. To make this really true, Jupiter put the swan
flying and the eagle pursuing in the sky. But Nemesis, as if wedded to
the tribe of birds, when her months were ended, bore an egg. Mercurius
[Hermes] took it away and carried it to Sparta and threw it in Leda’s
lap. From it sprang Helen, who excelled all other girls in beauty." - Hyginus, Astronomica 2. 8
Nemesis a vulture
"I see the winged firebrand [Paris] rushing to seize the dove [Helen],
the hound of Pephnos, whom the water-roaming vulture [i.e. Nemesis] brought to birth, husked in a rounded shell." - Lycophron, Alexandra 86 ff
Prophecy that Nemesis will abandon the earth
"And then Aidos and Nemesis, with their sweet
forms wrapped in white robes, will go from the wide-pathed earth and
forsake mankind to join the company of the deathless gods: and bitter
sorrows will be left for mortal men, and there will be no help against evil." - Hesiod, Works and Days 175 ff
Ritual to avert jealousy
"Goddess Nemesis, for whom the women spit on their bosoms." - Kallimakhos, Fragment 687
Nemesis teaches modesty
"It is here [in a palace in Babylon] that the king gives judgement, and
golden wrynecks are hung from the ceiling, four in number, to remind
him of Adrasteia [Nemesis] and to engage him not exalt himself not to
exalt himself above humanity." - Philostratus, Life of Apollonius of Tyana 1. 25
Nikaia’s
punishment for the killing of Hymnos was to be raped by Dionysos
"Eros espied her [Nikaia] sleeping, and pointed her out to Bakkhos,
pitying Hymnos; Nemesis laughed at the sight. And sly Dionysos with
shoes that made no noise crept soundless to his bridal." - Nonnos,
Dionysiaka 16.263
Nemesis records all
"Such were the proud words that Akhates shouted in mockery : but Nemesis recorded that big speech." - Nonnos, Dionysiaka 37. 423
Myth of Artemis, Nemesis, Dionysos, and the griffin
"Artemis betook herself to Nemesis, and found her on the heights of
Tauros in the clouds, where beside neighbouring Kydnos she had ended
the proudnecked boasting of Typhon’s threats. A wheel turned itself
round before the queen’s feet, signifying that she rolls all the proud
from on high to the ground with the avenging wheel of justice, she the
allvanquishing deity who turns the path of life. Round her throne flew
a bird of vengeance, a Gryps (Griffin) flying with wings, or balancing
himself on four feet, to go unbidden before the flying goddess and show
that she herself traverses the four separate quarters of the world:
highcrested men she bridles with her bit which none can shake off, such
is the meaning of the image, and she rolls a haughty fellow about as it
were with the whip of misery, like a self-rolling wheel. When the
goddess beheld Artemis with pallid face, she knew that she was offended
and full of deadly threatenings, and questioned her in friendly words :
`Your looks, Archeress, proclaim your anger. Artemis, what impious son
of Earth persecutes you? What second Typhoeus has sprung up from the
ground? [Then Nemesis mentions some of those punished by Artemis
herself for their arrogance] Has Tityos risen again rolling a lovemad
eye, and touched the robe of your untouchable mother [Leto]? Where is
your bow, Artemis, where are Apollon’s arrows? What Orion is using
force against you once more? The wretch that touched your dress still
lies in his mother’s flanks, a lifeless corpse; if any man has clutched
your garments with lustful hands, grow another scorpion to avenge your
girdle. If bold Otos again, or boastful Ephialtes, has desired to win
your love so far beyond his reach, then slay the pretender to your
unwedded virginity. If some prolific wife provokes your mother Leto,
let her weep for her children, another Niobe of stone. Why should not I
make another stone on Sipylos? Is your father pestering you to marry as
he did with Athena? Surely Kronion has not promised you to Hermes for a
wife, as he promised pure Athena to Hephaistos in wedlock? But if some
woman is persecuting you as one did your mother Leto, I will be the
avenger of the offended Archeress.’ She had not finished, when the puppybreeding maiden broke in and said
to the goddess who saves men from evil : `Virgin allvanquishing, guide
of creation . . . it is that sour virgin Aura, the daughter of
Lelantos, who mocks me and offends me with rude sharp words. But how
can I tell you all she said? I am ashamed to describe her calumny of my
body and her abuse of my breasts. I have suffered just as my mother
did: we are both alike--in Phrygia Niobe offended Leto the mother of
twins, in Phrygia again impious Aura offended me. But Niobe paid for it
by passing into a changeling form, that daughter of Tantalos whose
children were her sorrow, and she still weeps with stony eyes ; I alone
am insulted and bear my disgrace without vengeance, but Aura the
champion of chastity has washed no stone with tears, she has seen no
fountain declaring the faults of her uncontrolled tongue. I pray you,
uphold the dignity of your Titan birth. Grant me a boon like my mother,
that I may see Aura’s body transformed into stone immovable; leave not
a maiden of your own race in sorrow, that I may not see Aura mocking me
again and not to be turned--or let your sickle of beaten bronze drive
her to madness!’ She spoke, and the goddess replied with encouraging words : `Chaste
daughter of Leto, huntress, sister of Phoibos, I will not use my sickle
to chastise a Titan girl, I will not make the maiden a stone in
Phrygia, for I am myself born of the ancient race of Titanes [Nemesis
was a daughter of Okeanos], and her father Lelantos might blame me when
he heard: but one boon I will grant you, Archeress. Aura the maid of
the hunt has reproached your virginity, and she shall be a virgin no
longer. You shall see her in the bed of a mountain stream weeping
fountains of tears for her maiden girdle.’ So she consoled her; and Artemis the maiden entered her car with its
team of four prickets, left the mountain and drove back to Phrygia.
With equal speed the maiden Adrasteia [Nemesis] pursued her obstinate
enemy Aura. She had harnessed racing Grypes (Griffins) under her
bridle; quick through the air she coursed in the swift car, until she
tightened the curving bits of her fourfooted birds, and drew up on the
peak of Sipylos in front of the face of Tantalos’s daughter [Niobe]
with eyeballs of stone. Then she approached haughty Aura. She flicked
the proud neck of the hapless girl with her snaky whip, and struck her
with the round wheel of justice, and bent the foolish unbending will.
Argive Adrasteia (the Unavoidable) let the whip with its vipers curl
round the maiden’s girdle, doing pleasure to Artemis and to Dionysos
while he was still indignant; and although she was herself unacquainted
with love [although Nemesis was later seduced by Zeus], she prepared
another love . . . Nemesis now flew back to snowbeaten Tauros until she
reached Kydnos again. And Eros drove Dionysos mad for the girl with the
delicious wound of his arrow, then curving his wings flew lightly to
Olympos." - Nonnos, Dionysiaka 48. 375
Meaning of Nemesis' name
"Adrasteia Nemesis: From her, someone could not run away
(apodraseien). `Nemesis Adrasteia follows him, avenging haughty and
unrestrained words.' So Nemesis Adrasteia [is named] from Adrastos.
[Applied] to those first experiencing good fortune but later bad; for
of the descendents of those who campaigned against the Thebans, only
Aigialeus the son of Adrastos was killed." - Suidas s.v. Adrasteia Nemesis
The meaning of Adrasteia
"Adrasteia
: Some say she is the same thing as Nemesis, and that she took the name
from a particular king, Adrastos. Alternatively from the ancient
Adrastos who suffered divine wrath (nemesis) for his boasts against the
Thebans, who had established a shrine of Nemesis, which after these
things acquired the name Adrasteia. Demetrios of Skepsis says that
Adrasteia is Artemis, [in a cult] established by one Adrastos.
Antimakhos says : `there is a certain great goddess Nemesis, who
apportions out all these things to the blessed; Adrestos was the first
to set up an altar for her by the flowing river [Asopus].' Some,
however, add that she is different from Nemesis herself: so Menandros
and Nikostratos." - Suidas s.v. Adrasteia
The meaning of Nemesis
"Nemesis :
Vengeance, justice, outrage, [divine] jealousy, fortune. `Perceiving
Nemesis, the executioner of braggarts, who pursued them with justice.'
And again : `he did not escape the notice of Nemesis who opposes all
the arrogant, but was compelled to be taught a lesson in his own
misfortunes.' `Nemesis was present, she who watches the things of the
earth'; or in other words, she who watches unjust acts. Babrios says
[this] in the Fables. And Aelian [says] : `palpable evidence of Nemesis
the overseer, chastizing proud and disdainful ways'.
And a proverb : `At least Nemesis walks at your feet'; that is to say
that the goddess swiftly pursues wrong-doers. 'Unnoticed she walks at
your feet, snaps your haughty neck, and always holds sway over your
sustenance with her forearm.'" - Suidas s.v. Nemesis
Cult of Nemesis at Rhamnos
"A little way inland [from Rhamnos, Attika] is a sanctuary of Nemesis,
the most implacable deity to men of violence. It is thought that the
wrath of this goddess fell also upon the foreigners [the Persian army]
who landed at Marathon. For thinking in their pride that nothing stood
in the way of their taking Athens, they were bringing a piece of Parian
marble to make a trophy, convinced that their task was already
finished. Of this marble Pheidias made a statue of Nemesis, and on the
head of the goddess is a crown with deer and small images of Nike
(Victory). In her left hand she holds an apple branch, in her right
hand a cup on which are wrought Aithiopanas. As to the Aithiopians, I
could hazard no guess myself, nor could I accept the statement of those
who are convinced that the Aithiopians have been carved upon the cup
because of the river Okeanos. For the Aithiopians, they say, dwell near
it, and Okeanos is the father of Nemesis . . . Neither this nor any
other ancient statue of Nemesis has wings, for not even the holiest
wooden images of the Smyraneans have them, but later artists, convinced
that the goddess manifests herself most as a consequence of love, give
wings to Nemesis as they do to Eros (Love). I will now go on to
describe what is figures on the pedestal of the statue, having made
this preface for the sake of clearness. The Greeks say that Nemesis was
the mother of Helene, while Leda suckled and nursed her. The father of
Helene the Greeks like everybody else hold to be not Tyndareos but
Zeus. Having heard this legend Pheidias has represented Helene as being
led to Nemesis by Leda, and he has represented Tyndareos and his
children." - Pausanias 1. 33. 4
Alexander the Great worshiped Nemesis
"Alexandros was hunting on Mount Pagos, and
that after the hunt was over he came to a sanctuary of the Nemeseis,
and found there a spring and a plane-tree in front of the sanctuary,
growing over the water. While he slept under the plane-tree it is said
that the Nemeses appeared and bade him found a city there and remove
into it the Smyrnaians from the old city . . . So they migrated of
their own free will, and believe in two Nemeses instead of one, saying
their mother is Nyx, while the Athenians say that the father of the
goddess in Rhamnos is Okeanos." - Pausanias 7.5.1
