CHAPTER FOUR

GODDESS BEFORE ? RIGHT AND RETRIBUTION

Themis and are well known—together joined her there perhaps as late as the and individually—in the arts and cults of Archaic fourth century. Greece (Stafford, 2000: 45-110). A single transla- tion of each name into English does not accu- rately convey their broad ranges of influence, as Nemesis evoked in art and literature. Like the noun themis (ἡ θέμις), the personification Themis represents Themis and Nemesis are interconnected in myth that which is laid down or established, law accord- perhaps before they are joined in cult at Rham- ing to custom, justice, right (LSJ9 s.v. θέμις; for nous. In the lost sixth-century epic, Kypria, the distinction between themis and see Rud- according to Athenaios, prepares for the hardt, 1999: 15-16). The plural, θέμιστες, denote Trojan War, following the advice of his wife, the decrees of the gods, especially as issued by Themis , and rapes his daughter Nemesis Kypria( oracles, as well as customary laws, ordinances, fr. 7 [Allen, 1912]=Athenaios 8.334b). Nemesis judgments, etc. (Vos, 1956: 17; Rudhardt, 1999: transforms herself into various shapes to avoid 19-26). Others take Themis as the personifica- this incestuous incident, but when she attains the tion of “social order” (Stafford, 2000: 45). Nem- form of a swan, she is impregnated by Zeus, as esis also conveys a strong sense of righteousness a goose (see also Apollodoros 3.10.7; Hyginus, (Knittlmayer, 1999: 4-5). Aristoteles as much as Poetica astronomica 2.8; 1.33.7; Sch. defines nemesis (ἡ νέμεσις) as “grieving at unde- Kallimakhos, Hymnoi 3.232; Tzetzes, Lykophron served failures and successes and rejoicing at 88). The result of this union of birds is of course those that are deserved; for which reason they an egg. This egg contains Helene , whose elope- deem Nemesis a deity” (Aristoteles, Ethika Niko- ment with Paris will spark the Trojan War. In the macheia 1233b24-25; see Konstan, 2003: 75-76). Kypria it seems that the egg is hatched by Leda, So, she is Retribution, Righteous Anger (Home- not Nemesis . There are of course other genealo- ros, Ilias 3.156, 6.335, 13.122, 14.80 and Odysseia gies and versions of Nemesis’ story (summarised 2.136 and 22.30; Aiskhylos, Epta epi Thebas 235; in Karanastassi, 1992: 733-770 s.v. Nemesis; Hor- Platon, Nomoi 717d), and Indignation (Aristote- num, 1993: 91-152; Stafford, 2000: 75-110). Era- les, Ethika Nikomacheia 1108a35). However one tosthenes summarised the variant in Kratinos ’ defines them, these are explicitly (lost) comedy, Nemesis, produced in 431 (KA political in nature. Whether or not they origi- 4.179) or shortly thereafter: nated to serve political needs, both nemesis and themis were popularised and personified during It is said that Zeus made love to Nemesis in this the Peloponnesian War, in Athenian literature shape (a swan) after she had tried every form in and art. Nemesis was worshipped at the Attic order to keep her virginity, and finally became a deme of Rhamnous from as early as the sixth swan. Assuming the shape of the same bird him- century (Petrakos, 1999: 1.194-195)—the found- self, he [Zeus] arrived at Rhamnous in Attika and there raped Nemesis (who is called Leda ) who ing of the cult has been attributed to the Attic laid an egg from which hatched Helene, as we King Erekhtheus (Hesykhios s.v. ̔Ραμνουσίας are told by Kratinos. ἀκτάς; Suda s.v. ̔Ραμνουσία Νέμεσις)—while (Eratosthenes [Katasterismoi] 25) 42 chapter four

This story is bewildering with regard to Nemesis ’ robes, will go to Olympos from earth, with its divine status: does she change her shape through wide paths, and forsake mankind to join the tribe magic or divine powers? If divine, why does she of immortals: and bitter sorrows will be left for give birth to a mortal? And whether or not divine, mortal men, and there will be no defense against is she conceived of as a personification? Malcolm evil” (Hesiodos, Erga kai hemerai 196-200; Nem- Davies may be correct (Davies, 1989: 35-39) that esis and Aidos are connected also in Homeros, that the shape changing motif was transferred Ilias 13.121). Elsewhere he calls her a “. . . . bane from the tale in which tried to escape from for mortal men” (Hesiodos, Theogonia 223). No her destined marriage to Peleus (Apollodoros source earlier than the Kypria connects Nemesis 3.10.7; fr. 1093 N2; Ovid, Metamor- with Helene : perhaps the birth tale was written phoses 11.229; Pindaros, Nemeonike 4.62; Sch. anew for the Kypria and/or the Kypria originated Pindaros, Nemeonike 3.35, 4.62; Sophokles, Troilos at Rhamnous (Stafford, 2000: 80-89 ). Stafford has fr. 618 Radt) . Other than the shape changing, now debunked the ‘evidence’ for a pre-Hellenis- however, this Nemesis seems to be mortal. Despite tic cult of Nemesis at Smyrne (Stafford, 2000: her divine partner she gives birth to a human. 98-100 contra Schweitzer, 1931: 202, who dates Here she is perhaps the only personified abstrac- it as early as the 7th century, and Cadoux, 1938: tion to give birth to a mortal rather than a divine 220, who dates it before Alyattes’ destruction of or semi-divine figure (Stafford, 2000: 72). Perhaps the city in 580). There is likewise no external evi- this interpretation has been influenced by the dence for the sculpture of personified Nemesis, later tradition (Apollodoros 10.7) that conflates which Pausanias tells us was made at Smyrne by Nemesis with Helene rather than Leda and sees Boupalos (550-525) (Pausanias 9.35.6); or the age Nemesis as one of Leda’s divine children (along of the wooden cult figures (xoana) of Nemesis at with Polydeukes), fathered by Zeus on the same Smyrne (Pausanias 1.33.7; see Shapiro, 1993: 173, night that Tyndareos conceived Leda’s mortal 256 no. 113, and Stafford, 2000: 98-99). children, Klytaimnestra and Kastor . Regardless Nemesis appears first in Attic art at approximately of Nemesis’ divine status, however, in this story the same time as Kratinos’ play, noted above, when her character is, in part, represented by her name, she received her long awaited temple at Rhamnous . and she therefore seems to be a personification: As early as the 470s, following the Persian Wars, the Kypria specifies that Nemesis tries to avoid funds were allocated for the building of a temple incest because of her feelings of nemesis as well to Nemesis at Rhamnous (Pausanias 1.33), but the as aidos (ἡ αἰδώς). Here aidos seems to connote a extant Classical Doric temple was not built until feeling akin to shame, whereas it later has a posi- the 430s or even the 420s, according to Margaret tive connotation, and is translated as reverence or Miles (Miles, 1989). Ira Mark (1993: 77-78 n. 47) modesty (LSJ9 s.v. αἰδώς; for Homeric aidos see disputes Miles’ stylistic dating, while Vasilios Scott, 1980; Turpin, 1980; Redfield, 1975: 115- Petrakos, the excavator, prefers Dinsmoor’s date 118; see also Williams, 2008). The aitiological of 436-432 (Dinsmoor, 1961: 179). This roughly aspect of this story would suggest that Nemesis matches the chronology of the cult statue of Nem- was here personified for the first time (Shapiro, esis , according to Pausanias : 1993: 173). Yet we cannot be sure that the expla- It would seem that the wrath of this nation was intact in the Kypria rather than pro- [Nemesis ] also fell upon those of the barbar- vided by Athenaios (in the 2nd century). ians who landed at Marathon. For thinking Nemesis was known as a divine being from that no obstacle stood in the way of their tak- as early as Hesiodos , although the evidence for ing , they were bringing with them some her cults before the sixth century (at Rhamnous ) Parian marble to use for a trophy, just as if the whole thing were over and done with. It was is slight. Hesiodos sees her ambivalence. In an this stone that Pheidias made into a statue of apocalyptic vision he describes her value (with Nemesis. Aidos ): “. . . their beautiful forms wrapped in white (Pausanias 1.33.3-4)