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home | greek | gods | free spirits | page 2 | Nemesis
| Nemesis at a Glance |
name | Nemesis (NemesiV)
role | goddess of retribution
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| Nemesis in Greek Mythology |
In Greek mythology, Nemesis was the goddess of retribution. She appears in the Theogony of Hesiod as the daughter of Nyx (the goddess of Night):
"Baneful Night bore Nemesis, too, a woe for mortals..."
It is interesting to note that just prior to this mention of the birth of Nemesis, the poet Hesiod also makes reference to the dreadful power of some other daughters of Nyx, including the Fates and the Keres. Taken together, these daughters of Night were often feared because of their ability to punish the transgressions of mortals. And certainly, considering her position as the personification of retribution, it was probably thought best to avoid making Nemesis angry.
There is another aspect to the tale of Nemesis, and that was her role as one of the many paramours of the god Zeus. According to one source of the legend, Zeus (who was always fond of beautiful females) became enamored of the goddess. However Nemesis wanted nothing to do with him. She tried to flee from the god's unwelcome advances by transforming herself into a series of fish and animals. Finally, Zeus caught the object of his affection - some versions say that Zeus assumed the form of a swan while Nemesis was in the guise of a goose. In these shapes the pair mated, and as a result Nemesis later laid an egg from which the famous beauty Helen of Troy hatched (however, it is important to remember that other versions of the birth of Helen claim that it was Leda who laid this egg).
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