Editing Themis (section)

==Description==
[[File:Bacciarelli Themis.jpg|thumb|Painting of Themis with scales and sword by [[Marcello Bacciarelli]]]]

Some classical descriptions of Themis describe a sober-looking woman holding scales.<ref name=":1">{{Cite encyclopaedia |date=2006 |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of World Religions|doi=|last1=Cooke |first1=Rachel }}</ref> Themis is an earth goddess much like her mother, Gaia, and in some stories it is hard to tell the two apart.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=de Ville|first=Jacques|date=2013|title=Mythology and the Images of Justice|journal=Law and Literature|volume=23|issue=3|pages=324–364|doi=10.1525/lal.2011.23.3.324|hdl=10566/288|s2cid=220308728|issn=1535-685X|hdl-access=free}}</ref> Some classical depictions of Themis show her holding a sword.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Bennett|first=De Robigne Mortimer|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eH5jAAAAMAAJ|title=The Gods and Religions of Ancient and Modern Times ...|date=1880|publisher=Bennett|pages=227|language=en}}</ref>

When Themis is disregarded, [[Nemesis (mythology)|Nemesis]] brings just and wrathful retribution; thus Themis shared the small temple at [[Rhamnous]] with Nemesis.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Munn|first=Mark H.|url=|title=The Mother of the Gods, Athens, and the Tyranny of Asia: A Study of Sovereignty in Ancient Religion|date=2006-07-11|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-93158-9|pages=337|language=en}}</ref> Themis is not wrathful; when a distraught [[Hera]] returned to [[Mount Olympus|Olympus]] after quarrelling with Zeus, Themis, "of the lovely cheeks," was the first to offer her a cup.<ref>[[Homer]], ''[[Iliad]]'' [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0134%3Abook%3D15%3Acard%3D78 15.88].</ref>

Themis presided over the proper relation between man and woman, the basis of the rightly ordered family (the family was seen as the pillar of the [[deme]]). Judges were often referred to as {{-"}}''themistopóloi''{{-"}} (the servants of Themis).  Such was also the basis for order upon Olympus.  Even [[Hera]] addressed her as "Lady Themis".<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=See|first=Sally|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=onDwBQAAQBAJ|title=The Greek Myths|date=2014-12-25|publisher=S&T|pages=11|language=en}}</ref>

===Hesiod===
Themis occurred in [[Hesiod]]'s ''[[Theogony]]'' as the first recorded appearance of ''Justice'' as a divine personage. Drawing not only on the socio-religious consciousness of his time but also on many of the earlier cult-religions, Hesiod described the forces of the universe as cosmic divinities. Hesiod portrayed temporal justice, [[Dike (mythology)|Dike]], as the daughter of [[Zeus]] and Themis. Dike executed the law of judgments and sentencing and, together with her mother Themis, she carried out the final decisions of Moirai.<ref>[http://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Comp/CompGian.htm Donna Marie Giancola, "Justice and the Face of the Great Mother (East and West)"]</ref>

===Aeschylus===
In the play ''[[Prometheus Bound]]'', traditionally attributed to [[Aeschylus]], it is said by Prometheus that Themis is called many names, including [[Gaia]].<ref>[[Aeschylus]], ''[[Prometheus bound]]'' 211 (Sommerstein, [http://www.loebclassics.com/view/aeschylus-prometheus_bound/2009/pb_LCL145.467.xml pp. 446, 447]; Harrison 1912, [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.42694/page/n513/mode/2up?view=theater p. 480]; Harrison 1908, [https://archive.org/details/prolegomenatostu00harr/page/260/mode/2up?view=theater p. 261].</ref>