Themis
titanΘέμις
Titaness of divine law
Themis was the Titaness of divine law and natural order — the figure behind Lady Justice.
The Myth
Themis did not fight the Olympians. She became Zeus's second wife and bore the Horae (Seasons) and Moirai (Fates). She sat beside Zeus as counsellor, representing deeper natural law. Her scales weigh right against wrong; her sword enforces the verdict.
Parents
Gaia and Uranus
Children
Horae, Moirai (by Zeus)
Symbols
scalesswordblindfoldthrone beside Zeus
Fun Fact
Lady Justice atop courthouses worldwide is Themis. The blindfold was a Renaissance addition the Greeks never used.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth: