Nemesis in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Nemesis

8 passages from 6 ancient authors that tell of Nemesis, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. Nemesis was the goddess of divine retribution and revenge, who would show her wrath to any human being that would commit hubris, i.e. arrogance before... For the story in one place, read our article on Nemesis.

Hesiod (2)

Hesiod, Theogony 210–264Night's children, Strife's children and the Nereids (210-264)Night bears Doom, Fate and Death, Sleep and the tribe of Dreams, and then Blame, Woe, the Hesperides, the Fates and Nemesis; Strife in turn bears Toil, Forgetfulness, Famine and other sorrows. Pontus begets Nereus, the truthful Old Man of the Sea, and then Thaumas, Phorcys, Ceto and Eurybia; Nereus and Doris have fifty daughters, whom the section names.
Hesiod, Works and Days 200–269The hawk and the nightingale; justice in the city (200-269)Aidos and Nemesis will leave mankind, and Hesiod tells the fable of the hawk and the nightingale as a warning to princes. He urges Perses to follow Justice and avoid violence, since a city of just men prospers in peace, while for one bad man Zeus may send famine, plague or ruin on a whole city. Zeus has thrice ten thousand spirits watching over judgements, and virgin Justice reports crooked rulers to her father.

Apollodorus (1)

Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 3.10.1–9Hermes, Asclepius, Leda and the suitors of HelenThe Pleiades are named, and Maia bears Hermes to Zeus, who steals Apollo's cattle, invents the lyre and trades it for the cattle and the art of divination. The line of Taygete and Lacedaemon leads to Hyacinth, to Asclepius, son of Apollo and Coronis, whom Zeus strikes with a thunderbolt for raising the dead, and to Tyndareus and Icarius. Zeus, as a swan, lies with Leda, who bears Helen and the Dioscuri (or, in another version, Nemesis lays Helen's egg), and Theseus carries Helen off. The kings of Greece court Helen, and Tyndareus, on Odysseus's advice, binds them by an oath to defend the chosen husband.

Callimachus (1)

Callimachus, Hymns 1.1–96Hymn to ZeusThe poet asks where Zeus was born, on Ida in Crete or in Arcadia, and calls the Cretans liars for building his tomb. He tells how Rhea bore Zeus in Parrhasia and washed in a spring she struck from the mountain, how the nymph Neda carried him to Crete and how the Dictaean Meliae and Adrasteia reared him on the milk of the goat Amaltheia. The hymn praises Zeus as the god who took kings for his portion, and ends with a prayer for goodness and prosperity.

Nonnus of Panopolis (2)

Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 48.328–473Book 48: Aura insults Artemis; Nemesis is sent against herBathing beside Artemis, Aura stares at the goddess and mocks her breasts and her claim to virginity, boasting of her own boyish strength. Artemis, furious, appeals to Nemesis for vengeance. Nemesis pursues Aura in her griffin car and strikes her with her whip, and Eros makes Dionysos mad with love for the girl.
Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 15.312–422Book 15: Hymnos' plea; Nicaia kills himHymnos asks Nicaia to kill him if she will not love him, and tells her how to bury him. She shoots an arrow into his throat. The Naiads, the herd and Rheia mourn for the oxherd, and Apollo shows Artemis the love-murder.

Epic Cycle (1)

Epic Cycle, Summaries and Fragments 5.1–38CypriaProclus' summary of the Cypria opens with Zeus planning the Trojan War with Themis, the quarrel of the three goddesses, Alexandrus, Helen and the gathering of the Greeks at Aulis. The fragments cover the earth burdened by men, the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, Helen's birth to Nemesis, Castor and Polydeuces, and Alexandrus carrying Helen to Ilium.

Orpheus (attributed) (1)

Orpheus (attributed), Orphic Hymns 57–61Hymns 57-61: the Terrestrial Hermes, Cupid, the Fates, the Graces, NemesisHermes of the earth is invoked as the god whom Fate set to dwell on the dread path that leads to deepest hell, and Cupid as the pure and lovely source of sweet delight. The Fates are addressed as the daughters of Night and are named Atropos, Lachesis and Clotho. The Graces are called on as the descendants of Jove, with Eunomia, and Nemesis as the almighty queen by whom the deeds of mortal life are seen.