Themis, the same name was used by Latin authors

Show NotesHide Notes

Notes:

1. Themis is described as the daughter of Gaea(Clement) or the union of Uranus and Gaea(Hesiod) or daughter of Gaea and Aether(Apollodorus, Hyginus).


2. Sometimes described as a wife of Zeus, sometimes mistress, Themis became the mother of Horae or hours/seasons, they were Eunomia or order, Dike or justice, Irene or peace(Apollodorus, Clement, Hesiod, Hyginus, Orphic hymn to the Seasons) and Moreae or fates, they were Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos(Hesiod). Themis was also the mother of Prometheus(Aeschylus) and mother of Athena(Diodorus Siculus)


3. Themis is on some occasions described to be very close to Zeus, sitting next to him and tell him the future. She was also present at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis(Quintus Smyrnaeus) and later, on the order`s of Zeus, assembled the gods on Olympus(Homer). She was even described to be nursing Zeus, when Ops or Rhea brought him to her(Hyginus.


4. She was also prophetic. For some time she was the prophet of the Delphic shrine. Themis received it from her mother Gaea and later gave it to her sister Phoebe(Aeschylus), or she gave it directly to Apollo(Pausanias). Themis also foretold many prophecies. Most famous are the fall of the Titans(Aeschylus), the fall of the giants(Nonnus, Dionysiaca), the world after the flood(Ovid, Metamorphoses) and the warning of marrying Thetis(Apollodorus, Bibliotheca, Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica).


5. Themis was described as being overlooked by Cronus and the first rulers and was relegated to the lowest place in the pecking order(Ovid).


6. Themis helped exhausted Leto to suckle Apollo with heavenly nectar and ambrosia(Homeric hymn to Apollo).


7. Themis released the Sphinx to Thebes and when Oedipus solved the riddle and consequently destroyed the sphinx, Themis is said to had released another savage beast to ravage Thebes(Ovid).

AESCHYLUS, EUMENIDES, translated by H. W. SMYTH

[1] First, in this prayer of mine, I give the place of highest honor among the gods to the first prophet, Earth; and after her to Themis, for she was the second to take this oracular seat of her mother, as legend tells. And in the third allotment, with Themis' consent and not by force, another Titan, child of Earth, Phoebe, took her seat here. She gave it as a birthday gift to Phoebus[Apollo], who has his name from Phoebe. Leaving the lake and ridge of Delos, he landed on Pallas' ship-frequented shores, and came to this region and the dwelling places on Parnassus.

AESCHYLUS, PROMETHEUS BOUND, translated by H. W. SMYTH

[18] - HEPHAESTUS: Lofty-minded son of Themis who counsels straight, against my will, no less than yours, I must rivet you with brazen bonds no hand can loose to this desolate crag, where neither voice nor form of mortal man shall you perceive; but, scorched by the sun's bright beams, you shall lose the fair bloom of your flesh.

[201] - PROMETHEUS: When first the heavenly powers were moved to wrath, and mutual dissension was stirred up among them —some bent on casting Cronus from his seat so Zeus, in truth, might reign; others, eager for the contrary end, that Zeus might never win mastery over the gods—it was then that I, although advising them for the best, was unable to persuade the Titans, children of Heaven and Earth; but they, disdaining counsels of craft, in the pride of their strength thought to gain the mastery without a struggle and by force. Often my mother Themis, or Earth (though one form, she had many names), had foretold to me the way in which the future was fated to come to pass. That it was not by brute strength nor through violence, but by guile that those who should gain the upper hand were destined to prevail.

[873] - PROMETHEUS: Such is the oracle recounted to me by my mother, Titan Themis, born long ago. The manner and the means—these need lengthy speech to tell, and to learn them all would not be of any benefit.

APOLLODORUS LIBRARY, Book 1, translated by J. G. FRAZER

[1.1.3] And again he begat children by Earth, to wit, the Titans as they are named: Ocean, Coeus, Hyperion, Crius, Iapetus, and, youngest of all, Cronus; also daughters, the Titanides as they are called: Tethys, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Dione, Thia.

[1.3.1] Now Zeus wedded Hera and begat Hebe, Ilithyia, and Ares, but he had intercourse with many women, both mortals and immortals. By Themis, daughter of Sky, he had daughters, the Seasons, to wit, Peace, Order, and Justice.

[1.4.1] Now Artemis devoted herself to the chase and remained a maid; but Apollo learned the art of prophecy from Pan, the son of Zeus and Hybris, and came to Delphi, where Themis at that time used to deliver oracles; and when the snake Python, which guarded the oracle, would have hindered him from approaching the chasm, he killed it and took over the oracle.

APOLLODORUS LIBRARY, Book 2, translated by J. G. FRAZER

[2.5.1] And going on foot through Illyria and hastening to the river Eridanus he came to the nymphs, the daughters of Zeus and Themis.

APOLLODORUS LIBRARY, Book 3, translated by J. G. FRAZER

[3.13.5] Afterwards he married Thetis, daughter of Nereus, for whose hand Zeus and Poseidon had been rivals; but when Themis prophesied that the son born of Thetis would be mightier than his father, they withdrew. But some say that when Zeus was bent on gratifying his passion for her, Prometheus declared that the son borne to him by her would be lord of heaven.

APOLLONIUS RHODIUS, ARGONAUTICA, Book 4, translated by R. C. SEATON

[795] But in reverence for me and with fear in thy heart thou didst shrink from his love; and he then swore a mighty oath that thou shouldst never be called the bride of an immortal god. Yet he ceased not from spying thee against thy will, until reverend Themis declared to him the whole truth, how that it was thy fate to bear a son mightier than his sire; wherefore he gave thee up, for all his desire, fearing lest another should be his match and rule the immortals, and in order that he might ever hold his own dominion

CLAUDIAN, RAPE OF PROSERPINE, Book 1, translated by M. PLATNAUER

[103] Amphitrite, daughter of Nereus, holds Neptune in her sea-grey embrace; Juno, they sister and they wife, takes thee to her bosom when wearied thou layest aside thy thunderbolts. What need to tell of thy secrete love for Lato or Ceres or great Themis? How manifold a hope of offspring was thine!

[214] Long had Jove seen this, watching from his lofty seat, and to Venus he thus enfolded the secrets of his heart: “Goddess of Cythera, I will impart to thee my hidden troubles; long ago I decided that fair Proserpine should be given in marriage to the lord of Hell; such is Atropos’ bidding, such old Themis’ prophecy.

CLEMENT, RECOGNITIONS, Book 10, translated by REV. THOMAS SMITH

Chapter [17] - GENTILE COSMOGONY - From the heaven they say that six males were produced, whom they call Titans; and in like manner, from the earth six females, whom they called Titanides. And these are the names of the males who sprang from the heaven: Oceanus, Coeus, Crios, Hyperion, Iapetus, Chronos, who amongst us is called Saturn. In like manner, the names of the females who sprang from the earth are these: Theia, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Tethys, Hebe [Phoebe].

Chapter [21] - A BLACK CATALOGUE - Thus much of his incests; I shall now speak of his adulteries. He defiled Europa, the wife of Oceanus, of whom was born Dodonæus; Helen, the wife of Pandion, of whom Musæus; Eurynome, the wife of Asopus, of whom Ogygias; Hermione [Eurynome], the wife of Oceanus, of whom the Graces, Thalia, Euphrosyne, Aglaia; Themis, his own sister, of whom the Hours, Eurynomia, Dice, Irene

Chapter [31] - HESIOD COMOGONY - But to this Hesiod adds, that after chaos the heaven and the earth were made immediately, from which he says that those eleven were produced (and sometimes also he speaks of them as twelve) of whom he makes six males and five females. And these are the names that he gives to the males: Oceanus, Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, Chronos, who is also called Saturn. Also the names of the females are: Theia, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Tethys. And these names they thus interpret allegorically. They say that the number is eleven or twelve: that the first is nature itself, which also they would have to be called Rhea, from Flowing; and they say that the other ten are her accidents, which also they call qualities; yet they add a twelfth, namely Chronos, who with us is called Saturn, and him they take to be time. Therefore they assert that Saturn and Rhea are time and matter; and these, when they are mixed with moisture and dryness, heat and cold, produce all things.

DIODORUS SICULUS, LIBRARY OF HISTORY, Book 5, translated by C. H. OLDFATHER

[5.66.3] The males were Cronus, Hyperion, Coeus, Iapetus, Crius, and Oceanus, and their sisters were Rhea, Themis, Mnemosynê, Phoebê, and Tethys. Each one of them was the discoverer of things of benefit to mankind, and because of the benefaction they conferred upon all men they were accorded honours and everlasting fame.

DIODORUS SICULUS, LIBRARY OF HISTORY, Book 6, translated by C. H. OLDFATHER

[6.1.9] There were born to him by his wife Hestia two sons, Titan and Cronus, and two daughters, Rhea and Demeter. Cronus became king after Uranus, and marrying Rhea he begat Zeus and Hera and Poseidon. And Zeus on succeeding to the kingship, married Hera and Demeter and Themis, and by them he had children, the Curetes by the first named, Persephonê by the second, and Athena by the third.

GREEK EPIC CYCLE, THE CYPRIA, FRAGMENT 1, translated by H. G. EVELYN-WHITE

This is continued by the epic called Cypria which is current is eleven books. Its contents are as follows. Zeus plans with Themis to bring about the Trojan war. Strife arrives while the gods are feasting at the marriage of Peleus and starts a dispute between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite as to which of them is fairest.

HESIOD, THEOGONY, translated by H. G. EVELYN-WHITE

[134] But afterwards she lay with Heaven and bare deep-swirling Oceanus, Coeus and Crius and Hyperion and Iapetus, Theia and Rhea, Themis and Mnemosyne and gold-crowned Phoebe and lovely Tethys. After them was born Cronos the wily, youngest and most terrible of her children, and he hated his lusty sire.

[901] Next he married bright Themis who bare the Horae (Hours), and Eunomia (Order), Dike (Justice), and blooming Eirene (Peace), who mind the works of mortal men, and the Moerae (Fates) to whom wise Zeus gave the greatest honour, Clotho, and Lachesis, and Atropos who give mortal men evil and good to have.

HOMER, ILIAD, Book 15, translated by IAN JOHNSTON

[102] Reaching steep Olympus, she found immortal gods together at Zeus' palace in a meeting. Seeing her, they all stood up and offered her their cups in welcome. Ignoring all the others, Hera took the cup of fair-cheeked Themis, the first who came running up to meet her. Themis spoke to her— her words had wings: “Hera, why have you come? You look upset. Perhaps your husband, the son of Cronos, has frightened you?” Ox-eyed queen Hera then replied: “Goddess Themis, don't question me like this. You know his moods, how he can be so harsh and overbearing. You should start the communal banquet now, here in the palace. You'll learn about these things when all the immortals do—the evil plans Zeus is proposing, something, in my view, which won't please all hearts alike, in gods or men, although some may still enjoy our feast.”

HOMER, ILIAD, Book 20, translated by IAN JOHNSTON

[1] Then, son of Peleus, Achaeans armed themselves around you, feeding your boundless appetite for war. On the other side, higher up the sloping plain, the Trojans did the same. At that very moment, from the summit of many-ridged Olympus, Zeus told Themis to summon gods to an assembly. She raced around, calling them to Zeus' home. None of the rivers was left out, except Oceanus, nor any nymph.

HOMERIC HYMNS, Hymn to Apollo, translated by H. G. EVELYN-WHITE

[89] Now when Leto had sworn and ended her oath, Delos was very glad at the birth of the far-shooting lord. But Leto was racked nine days and nine nights with pangs beyond wont. And there were with her all the chiefest of the goddesses, Dione and Rhea and Ichnaea and Themis and loud-moaning Amphitrite and the other deathless goddesses save white-armed Hera, who sat in the halls of cloud-gathering Zeus.

[123] Now Leto did not give Apollo, bearer of the golden blade, her breast; but Themis duly poured nectar and ambrosia with her divine hands: and Leto was glad because she had borne a strong son and an archer. But as soon as you had tasted that divine heavenly food, O Phoebus, you could no longer then be held by golden cords nor confined with bands, but all their ends were undone.

HOMERIC HYMNS, Hymn to Ares, translated by H. G. EVELYN-WHITE

[1] Ares, exceeding in strength, chariot-rider, golden- helmed, doughty in heart, shield-bearer, Saviour of cities, harnessed in bronze, strong of arm, unwearying, mighty with the spear, O defence of Olympus, father of warlike Victory, ally of Themis, stern governor of the rebellious, leader of righteous men, sceptred King of manliness, who whirl your fiery sphere among the planets in their sevenfold courses through the aether wherein your blazing steeds ever bear you above the third firmament of heaven

HOMERIC HYMNS, Hymn to Zeus, translated by H. G. EVELYN-WHITE

[1] I will sing of Zeus, chiefest among the gods and greatest, all-seeing, the lord of all, the fulfiller who whispers words of wisdom to Themis as she sits leaning towards him. Be gracious, all-seeing Son of Cronos, most excellent and great!

HYGINUS, ASTRONOMICA, translated by MARY GRANT

CHARIOTEER - But Musaeus says Jove was nursed by Themis and the nymph Amalthea, to whom he was given by Ops, his mother. Now Amalthea had as a pet a certain goat which is said to have nursed Jove.

HYGINUS, FABULAE, translated by MARY GRANT

From Aether and Earth: Grief, Deceit, Wrath, Lamentation, Falsehood, Oath, Vengeance, Intemperance, Altercation, Forgetfulness, Sloth, Fear, Pride, Incest, Combat, Ocean, Themis, Tartarus, Pontus; and the Titans, Briareus, Gyges, Steropes, Atlas, Hyperion, and Polus, Saturn, Ops, Moneta, Dione; and three Furies – namely, Alecto, Megaera, Tisiphone.

From Jove and Themis, the Hours.

Fable [183] The names of the Horae, daughters of Jove, son of Saturn, and Themis, daughter Titanidis, arethese: Auco, Eunomia (Order), Pherusa, Carpo (Fruit), Dice (Justice), Euporia, Irene (Peace), Orthosie, Thallo. Other writers give ten by these names: Auge (When light first appears), Anatole (Dawn), Musica, Gymnastica, Nymphe (Hour of Bath), Mesembria (Noon), Sponde (Libations poured before dinner), *Elete, *Acte, Hesperis, and Dysis (Setting).

LYCOPHRON, ALEXANDRA, translated by A. W. MAIR

[113] For the sullen husband, whose spouse is Torone of Phlegra, even he to whom laughter and tears are alike abhorred and who is ignorant and reft of both; who once on a time crossed from Thrace unto the coastland which is furrowed by the outflow of Triton; crossed not by sailing ship but by an untrodden path, like some moldwarp, boring a secret passage in the cloven earth, made his ways beneath the sea, avoiding the stranger-slaying wrestling of his sons and sending to his sire prayers which were heard, even that he should set him with returning feet in his fatherland, whence he had come as a wanderer to Pallenia, nurse of the earth-born – he, like Guneus, a doer of justice and arbiter of the Sun’s daughter of Ichnae, shall assail thee with evil words and rob thee of they bridal, casting thee forth in thy desire from thy wanton dove: thee who, regarding not the tombs of Lycus and Chimaereus, glorious in oracles, nor thy love of Antheus nor the pure salt of Aigaeon eaten by host and guest together, didst dare to sin against the gods and to overstep justice, kicking the table and overturning Themis, modeled in the ways of the she-bear that suckled thee.

NONNUS, DIONYSIACA, Book 2, translated by W. H. D. ROUSE

[705] With Zeus victorious, the other gods came home to Olympos, in their own form come again, for they put off the winged shapes which they had taken on. Athena came into heaven unarmed, in dainty robes with Ares turned Comus, and Victory for Song; and Themis displayed to dumbfounded Earth, mother of the giants, the spoils of the giant destroyed, an awful warning for the future, and hung them up high in the vestibule of Olympos.

NONNUS, DIONYSIACA, Book 5, translated by W. H. D. ROUSE

[616] He – so mighty! the ruler of the universe, the charioteer of heaven, bowed his neck to desire – for all his greatness no thunderbolts, no lightnings helped him against Aphrodite in arms: he left the house of Hera, he refused the bed of Dione, he threw away the love of Deo, he fled from Themis, he deserted Leto – no charm was left for him but only in union with Persephoneia.

ORPHIC HYMNS, Hymn to the Seasons, translated by THOMAS TAYLOR

Daughters of Jove [Zeus] and Themis, seasons bright,
Justice [Dike], and blessed Peace [Eirene], and lawful Right [Eunomia]
Vernal and grassy, vivid, holy pow'rs, whose balmy breath exhales in lovely flow'rs
All-colour'd seasons, rich increase your care, circling, for ever flourishing and fair:
Invested with a veil of shining dew, a flow'ry veil delightful to the view:
Attending Proserpine [Persephone], when back from night,
the Fates [Moirai] and Graces [Kharites] lead her up to light;
When in a band-harmonious they advance, and joyful round her, form the solemn dance:
With Ceres [Meter] triumphing, and Jove [Zeus] divine; propitious come, and on our incense shine;
Give earth a blameless store of fruits to bear, and make a novel mystic's life your care.

ORPHIC HYMNS, Hymn to Themis, translated by THOMAS TAYLOR

Illustrious Themis, of celestial birth, thee I invoke, young blossom of the earth;
Beauteous-eyed virgin; first from thee alone, prophetic oracles to men were known,
Giv'n from the deep recesses of the fane in sacred Pytho, where renown'd you reign;
From thee, Apollo's oracles arose, and from thy pow'r his inspiration flows.
Honour'd by all, of form divinely bright, majestic virgin, wand'ring in the night:
Mankind from thee first learnt initial rites, and Bacchus' nightly choirs thy soul delights;
For holy honours to disclose is thine, with all the culture of the pow'rs divine.
Be present, Goddess, to my pray'r inclin'd, and bless the mystic rites with fav'ring mind.

OVID, FASTI, Book 3, translated by J. G. FRAZER

[657] Some think that this goddess is the moon, because the moon fills up the measure of the year (annus) by her months; others deem that she is Themis; others suppose that she is the Inachian cow.

OVID, FASTI, Book 5, translated by J. G. FRAZER

[21] Often someone of the common sort of gods would dare to sit upon the throne which thou, Saturn, didst own; not one of the upstart deities took the outer side of Ocean, and Themis was often relegated to the lowest place, until Honour and comely Reverence with her calm look united in lawful wedlock.

OVID, METAMORPHOSES, Book 1, translated by BROOKES MORE

[313] A fruitful land and fair but now submerged beneath a wilderness of rising waves, 'Twixt Oeta and Aonia, Phocis lies, where through the clouds Parnassus' summits twain point upward to the stars, unmeasured height, save which the rolling billows covered all: there in a small and fragile boat, arrived, Deucalion and the consort of his couch, prepared to worship the Corycian Nymphs, the mountain deities, and Themis kind, who in that age revealed in oracles the voice of fate. As he no other lived so good and just, as she no other feared the Gods.

[348] ...Thus Deucalion's plaint to Pyrrha;—and they wept. And after he had spoken, they resolved to ask the aid of sacred oracles,—and so they hastened to Cephissian waves which rolled a turbid flood in channels known. Thence when their robes and brows were sprinkled well, they turned their footsteps to the goddess' fane: its gables were befouled with reeking moss and on its altars every fire was cold. But when the twain had reached the temple steps they fell upon the earth, inspired with awe, and kissed the cold stone with their trembling lips, and said; “If righteous prayers appease the Gods, and if the wrath of high celestial powers may thus be turned, declare, O Themis! whence and what the art may raise humanity? O gentle goddess help the dying world!

OVID, METAMORPHOSES, Book 4, translated by BROOKES MORE

[643] But Atlas, mindful of an oracle since by Themis, the Parnassian, told, recalled these words, “O Atlas! mark the day a son of Jupiter shall come to spoil; for when thy trees been stripped of golden fruit, the glory shall be his.”

OVID, METAMORPHOSES, Book 7, translated by BROOKES MORE

[759] After the son of Laius,—Oedipus,—had solved the riddle of the monster-sphinx, so often baffling to the wits of men, and after she had fallen from her hill, mangled, forgetful of her riddling craft; not unrevenged the mighty Themis brooked her loss. Without delay that goddess raised another savage beast to ravage Thebes, by which the farmer's cattle were devoured, the land was ruined and its people slain.

OVID, METAMORPHOSES, Book 9, translated by BROOKES MORE

[418] When Themis, prophesying future days, had said these words, the Gods of Heaven complained because they also could not grant the gift of youth to many others in this way. Aurora wept because her husband had white hair; and Ceres then bewailed the age of her Iasion, grey and stricken old; and Mulciber demanded with new life his Erichthonius might again appear; and Venus, thinking upon future days, said old Anchises' years must be restored. And every god preferred some favorite, until vexed with the clamor, Jupiter implored, “If you can have regard for me, consider the strange blessings you desire: does any one of you believe he can prevail against the settled will of Fate?

PAUSANIAS, DESCRIPTION OF GREECE, Book 2, translated by W. H. S. JONES

[2.27.5] Within the grove are a temple of Artemis, an image of Epione, a sanctuary of Aphrodite and Themis, a race-course consisting, like most Greek race-courses, of a bank of earth, and a fountain worth seeing for its roof and general splendour.

PAUSANIAS, DESCRIPTION OF GREECE, Book 5, translated by W. H. S. JONES

[5.14.10] On what is called the Gaeum (sanctuary of Earth) is an altar of Earth; it too is of ashes. In more ancient days they say that there was an oracle also of Earth in this place. On what is called the Stomium (Mouth) the altar to Themis has been built.

[5.17.1] They are crude works of art. The figures of Seasons next to them, seated upon thrones, were made by the Aeginetan Smilis. Beside them stands an image of Themis, as being mother of the Seasons.

PAUSANIAS, DESCRIPTION OF GREECE, Book 8, translated by W. H. S. JONES

[8.25.7] The image of Fury holds what is called the chest, and in her right hand a torch; her height I conjecture to be nine feet. Lusia seemed to be six feet high. Those who think the image to be Themis and not Demeter Lusia are, I would have them know, mistaken in their opinion.

PAUSANIAS, DESCRIPTION OF GREECE, Book 9, translated by W. H. S. JONES

[9.22.1] XXII. Beside the sanctuary of Dionysus at Tanagra are three temples, one of Themis, another of Aphrodite, and the third of Apollo; with Apollo are joined Artemis and Leto.

[9.25.4] Along the road from the Neistan gate are three sanctuaries. There is a sanctuary of Themis, with an image of white marble; adjoining it is a sanctuary of the Fates, while the third is of Zeus of the Market.

PAUSANIAS, DESCRIPTION OF GREECE, Book 10, translated by W. H. S. JONES

[10.5.6] There is extant among the Greeks an hexameter poem, the name of which is Eumolpia, and it is assigned to Musaeus, son of Antiophemus. In it the poet states that the oracle belonged to Poseidon and Earth in common; that Earth gave her oracles herself, but Poseidon used Pyrcon as his mouthpiece in giving responses. The verses are these:–

Forthwith the voice of the Earth-goddess uttered a wise word,
And with her Pyrcon, servant of the renowned Earth-shaker. [Musaeus], Eumolpia

They say that afterwards Earth gave her share to Themis, who gave it to Apollo as a gift. It is said that he gave to Poseidon Calaureia, that lies off Troezen, in exchange for his oracle.

QUINTUS SMYMRNAEUS, FALL OF TROY, Book 4, translated by A. S. WAY

[153] Yet again he sang, singing of Peleus' Bridal of Delight, which all the blest Immortals brought to pass by Pelion's crests; sang of the ambrosial feast when the swift Hours brought in immortal hands meats not of earth, and heaped in golden maunds; sang how the silver tables were set forth in haste by Themis blithely laughing; sang how breathed Hephaestus purest flame of fire; sang how the Nymphs in golden chalices mingled ambrosia; sang the ravishing dance twined by the Graces' feet; sang of the chant the Muses raised, and how its spell enthralled all mountains, rivers, all the forest brood; how raptured was the infinite firmament, Cheiron's fair caverns, yea, the very Gods.

QUINTUS SMYMRNAEUS, FALL OF TROY, Book 12, translated by A. S. WAY

So came he[Zeus] to Olympus' giant ridge. His wrath shook all the firmament, as crashed from east to west his thunders; lightnings gleamed, as thick and fast his thunderbolts poured to earth, and flamed the limitless welkin. Terror fell upon the hearts of those Immortals: quaked the limbs of all -- ay, deathless though they were! Then Themis, trembling for them, swift as thought leapt down through clouds, and came with speed to them -- for in the strife she only had no part and stood between the fighters, and she cried: Forbear the conflict! O, when Zeus is wroth, it ill beseems that everlasting Gods should fight for men's sake, creatures of a day

QUINTUS SMYMRNAEUS, FALL OF TROY, Book 13, translated by A. S. WAY

[322] In all the homes of Troy lay dying men, and rose from all a lamentable cry, save only Antenor's halls; for unto him the Argives rendered hospitality's debt, for that in time past had his roof received and sheltered godlike Menelaus, when he with Odysseus came to claim his own. Therefore the mighty sons of Achaea showed grace to him, as to a friend, and spared his life and substance, fearing Themis who seeth all.

[405] Ha, small joy to thee my wife was doomed to bring! Ay, wicked men never elude pure Themis: night and day her eyes are on them, and the wide world through above the tribes of men she floats in air, holpen of Zeus, for punishment of sin.