Goddess Nemesis
In Greek Mythology, Nemesis is the goddess of holy
revenge. According to Hesiodos, Nemesis is one of the childen of the Nyks who
were born without a father – who takes the revenge from people for the sins
they committed and she punishes the injustices. The goddess of luck, success,
happiness and wealth Tykhe ans the goddess of revenge Nemesis appear to be
working in contrary to one another while one of them is rewarding, the other is
punishing; but in fact, these two goddesses are complemetary and they balance
the other. So they are depicted together in the vase pictures. The symbols of
Nemesis are sword, scales, whip, bridle, wheel, tally, apple branch and ash
tree branch. The Nemesis descriptions have become allegoric with various
symbols which are enriched; with a serious, and cruel content. Although the
Romans kept the name of the goddess same, they sometimes called her Invidia
(Jealousy) or Rivalitas (Competition). Nemesis which means “distributing
rights, sharing” scales humans’ happinesses and unhappinesses and makes those
people remember who are overly happy in this world that there is a limit of
happiness in this mortal life, in a painful way. It is possible that Nemesis
cult is from Smyrna (Izmir) origin. There was a double Nemesis belief in Izmir.
This doubleness might emphasize one good and one bad side of the goddess or it might stem from the fact that
in the city which was re-established by Alexander the Great, the old and the
new goddess cults mixed one another.
We were together with other goddesses in this pretty
port city.
Now, I am alone and need your affection.