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| "Would that I were not among the men of the fifth age, but either had died
before or been born afterwards. For now truly is a race of iron, and men never
rest from labour (kamatos) and sorrow (oizys) by day, and from perishing by
night; and the gods shall lay sore trouble upon them. But, notwithstanding, even
these shall have some good mingled with their evils. And Zeus will destroy this
race of mortal men also when they come to have grey hair on the temples at their
birth. The father will not agree with his children, nor the children with their
father, nor guest with his host, nor comrade with comrade; nor will brother be
dear to brother as aforetime. Men will dishonour their parents as they grow
quickly old, and will carp at them, chiding them with bitter words, hard-hearted
they, not knowing the fear of the gods. They will not repay their aged parents
the cost their nurture, for might shall be their right: and one man will sack
another's city. There will be no favour (kharis) for the man who keeps his oath
or for the just (dikaios) or for the good (agathos); but rather men will praise
the evil-doer (kakos) and his violent dealing (hybris). Strength will be right
(dike) and reverence (aidos) will cease to be; and the wicked will hurt the
worthy man, speaking false words against him, and will swear an oath upon them.
Envy (zelos), foul-mouthed, delighting in evil, with scowling face, will go
along with wretched men one and all.
And then Aidos (Shame) and Nemesis (Indignation), with their sweet forms wrapped
in white robes, will go from the wide-pathed earth and forsake mankind to join
the company of the deathless gods: and bitter sorrows (lugra algea) will be left
for mortal men, and there will be no help against evil." - Hesiod, Works & Days
175
"I pray that to their share of noble fortunes he [Zeus] send no Nemesis of
jealous will, but in prosperity and free from ills, exalt them and their city."
- Pindar, Odes Olympian 8 ep4
"Wise are those who bow down before Adrasteia [Nemesis]." - Aeschylus,
Prometheus Bound 930
[NB To bow down before Adrasteia means seeking to avert, by some gesture of
humility, the evil consequences of boastful speech.]
"Goddess [Nemesis], for whom the women spit on their bosoms [a custom to
exorcize the goddess, to avert jealousy]." - Callimachus, Frag 687
"Demeter marked that her holy tree was in pain [felled by the hubristic king
Erysikhthon, who felled the holy trees to build himself a banquet hall], and she
as angered and said: ‘Who cuts down my fir tree?’ Straightway she likened her to
[the priestess] Nikippe ... And she spake to soothe the wicked and shameless man
and said: ‘My child, who cutest down the trees which are dedicated to the gods,
stay, my child, child of thy parents’ many prayers, cease and turn back thine
attendants, lest the lady Demeter be angered, whose holy place thou makest
desolate.’ But with a look more fierce than that wherewith a lioness looks on
the hunter on the hills of Tmaros - a lioness with new-born cubs, whose eye they
say is of all most terrible - he said: ‘Vie back, lest I fix my great axe in thy
flesh! These trees shall make my tight dwelling wherein evermore I shall hold
pleasing banquets enough for my companions.’
So spake the youth and Nemesis [Righteous Indignation] recorded his evil speech.
[And Demeter cursed the king with an unquenchable hunger] " - Callimachus, Hymn
VI to Demeter 57
"[Nemesis] far avert the dire, unfriendly race of counsels impious, arrogant,
and base." - Orphic Hymn 61 to Nemesis
"It is here [in a palace in Babylon] that the king gives judgement, and golden
wrynecks are hung from the ceiling, four in number, to remind him of Adrasteia
[Nemesis] and to engage him not exalt himself not to exalt himself above
humanity." - Philostratus, Life of Apollonius of Tyana 1.25
"[Narkissos] bolted [from the embrace of Ekho], shouting ‘Keep your arms from
me! Be off! I’ll die before I yield to you.’ ... Shamed and rejected in the
woods she hides and has her dwelling in the lonely caves [her body wasted away
leaving but her echoing voice] ... Thus had Narcissus mocked her; others too,
Nymphae of Hill and Water and many a man he mocked; till one scorned youth, with
raised hands, prayed, ‘So may he love - and never win his love!’ And Rhamnusia
[Nemesis] approved the righteous prayer … [and caused Narkissos to fall in love
with his own image in a pool of water, and like Ekho, unrequited in his love
wasted away]." - Ovid, Metamorphoses 3.402
"And you should fear the vengeance of the gods, Idalie [Aphrodite] who hates a
stony heart [conceited pride], the wrath, the unforgotten wrath of Rhamnusis
[Nemesis]." - Ovid, Metamorphoses 14.693
"[Typhon boasts about what he will do when he has conquered Olympos] He spoke,
and Adrasteia [Nemesis] took note of his words thus far." - Nonnus, Dionysiaca
1.481
"[The Nymphe Nikaia callously slew Hymnos a young shepherd who had falled in
love with her] Adrasteia [Nemesis] saw the murderous girl [Nikaia], Adrasteia
saw the body panting under the steel, and pointed out the newly slain corpse to
the Kyprian [Aphrodite], and upbraided Eros himself [at the injustice] ... Both
Pan Nomios and Phoibos [Apollon] cried out aloud [when they saw Nikaia's crime]:
‘A curse on the fife! Where is Nemesis? Where is Kypris [Aphrodite]? Eros,
handle not your quiver." - Nonnus, Dionysiaca 15.392 & 417
"Eros espied her [Nikaia] sleeping, and pointed her out to Bakkhos, pitying
Hymnos; Nemesis laughed at the sight. And sly Dionysos with shoes that made no
noise crept soundless to his bridal [Nikaia’s punishment for the killing of
Hymnos was to be raped by Dionysos]." - Nonnus, Dionysiaca 16.263
"Such were the proud words that Akhates shouted in mockery: but Nemesis
*recorded* *that* *big* *speech* ." - Nonnus, Dionysiaca 37.423
"Artemis betook herself to Nemesis [when her companion Aura in her arrogant
pride declared herself supreme over Artemis in virgin-form], and found her on
the heights of Tauros in the clouds, where beside neighbouring Kydnos she had
ended the proudnecked boasting of Typhon’s threats. A wheel turned itself round
before the queen’s feet, signifying that she rolls all the proud from on high to
the ground with the avenging wheel of justice, she the allvanquishing deity who
turns the path of life. Round her throne flew a bird of vengeance, a Gryps
(Griffin) flying with wings, or balancing himself on four feet, to go unbidden
before the flying goddess and show that she herself traverses the four separate
quarters of the world: highcrested men she bridles with her bit which none can
shake off, such is the meaning of the image, and she rolls a haughty fellow
about as it were with the whip of misery, like a self-rolling wheel. When the
goddess beheld Artemis with pallid face, she knew that she was offended and full
of deadly threatenings, and questioned her in friendly words: ‘Your looks,
Archeress, proclaim your anger. Artemis, what impious son of Earth persecutes
you? What second Typhoeus has sprung up from the ground? [Then Nemesis mentions
some of those punished by Artemis herself for their arrogance] Has Tityos risen
again rolling a lovemad eye, and touched the robe of your untouchable mother
[Leto]? Where is your bow, Artemis, where are Apollon’s arrows? What Orion is
using force against you once more? The wretch that touched your dress still lies
in his mother’s flanks, a lifeless corpse; if any man has clutched your garments
with lustful hands, grow another scorpion to avenge your girdle. If bold Otos
again, or boastful Ephialtes, has desired to win your love so far beyond his
reach, then slay the pretender to your unwedded virginity. If some prolific wife
provokes your mother Leto, let her weep for her children, another Niobe of
stone. Why should not I make another stone on Sipylos? Is your father pestering
you to marry as he did with Athena? Surely Kronion has not promised you to
Hermes for a wife, as he promised pure Athena to Hephaistos in wedlock? But if
some woman is persecuting you as one did your mother Leto, I will be the avenger
of the offended Archeress.’
She had not finished, when the puppybreeding maiden broke in and said to the
goddess who saves men from evil: ‘Virgin allvanquishing, guide of creation ...
it is that sour virgin Aura, the daughter of Lelantos, who mocks me and offends
me with rude sharp words. But how can I tell you all she said? I am ashamed to
describe her calumny of my body and her abuse of my breasts. I have suffered
just as my mother did: we are both alike - in Phrygia Niobe offended Leto the
mother of twins, in Phrygia again impious Aura offended me. But Niobe paid for
it by passing into a changeling form, that daughter of Tantalos whose children
were her sorrow, and she still weeps with stony eyes; I alone am insulted and
bear my disgrace without vengeance, but Aura the champion of chastity has washed
no stone with tears, she has seen no fountain declaring the faults of her
uncontrolled tongue. I pray you, uphold the dignity of your Titan birth. Grant
me a boon like my mother, that I may see Aura’s body transformed into stone
immovable; leave not a maiden of your own race in sorrow, that I may not see
Aura mocking me again and not to be turned - or let your sickle of beaten bronze
drive her to madness!’
She spoke, and the goddess replied with encouraging words:
‘Chaste daughter of Leto, huntress, sister of Phoibos, I will not use my sickle
to chastise a Titan girl, I will not make the maiden a stone in Phrygia, for I
am myself born of the ancient race of Titanes [Nemesis was a daughter of
Okeanos], and her father Lelantos might blame me when he heard: but one boon I
will grant you, Archeress. Aura the maid of the hunt has reproached your
virginity, and she shall be a virgin no longer. You shall see her in the bed of
a mountain stream weeping fountains of tears for her maiden girdle.’
So she consoled her; and Artemis the maiden entered her car with its team of
four prickets, left the mountain and drove back to Phrygia. With equal speed the
maiden Adrasteia [Nemesis] pursued her obstinate enemy Aura. She had harnessed
racing Grypes (Griffins) under her bridle; quick through the air she coursed in
the swift car, until she tightened the curving bits of her fourfooted birds, and
drew up on the peak of Sipylos in front of the face of Tantalos’s daughter
[Niobe] with eyeballs of stone. Then she approached haughty Aura. She flicked
the proud neck of the hapless girl with her snaky whip, and struck her with the
round wheel of justice, and bent the foolish unbending will. Argive Adrasteia
(the Unavoidable) let the whip with its vipers curl round the maiden’s girdle,
doing pleasure to Artemis and to Dionysos while he was still indignant; and
although she was herself unacquainted with love [although Nemesis was later
seduced by Zeus], she prepared another love ... Nemesis now flew back to
snowbeaten Tauros until she reached Kydnos again. And Eros drove Dionysos mad
for the girl with the delicious wound of his arrow, then curving his wings flew
lightly to Olympos." - Nonnus, Dionysiaca 48.375
"Adrasteia Nemesis: From her, someone *could* *not* *run* *away* (apodraseien).
'Nemesis Adrasteia follows him, avenging haughty and unrestrained words.' So
Nemesis Adrasteia [is named] from Adrastos. [Applied] to those first
experiencing good fortune but later bad; for of the descendents of those who
campaigned against the Thebans, only Aigialeus the son of Adrastos was killed."
- Suidas "Adrasteia Nemesis"
"Adrasteia: Some say she is the same thing as Nemesis, and that she took the
name from a particular king, Adrastos. Alternatively from the ancient Adrastos
who suffered divine wrath (nemesis) for his boasts against the Thebans, who had
established a shrine of Nemesis, which after these things acquired the name
Adrasteia. Demetrios of Skepsis says that Adrasteia is Artemis , [in a cult]
established by one Adrastos. Antimakhos says: 'there is a certain great goddess
Nemesis, who apportions out all these things to the blessed; Adrestos was the
first to set up an altar for her by the flowing river [Asopus].' Some, however,
add that she is different from Nemesis herself: so Menandros and Nikostratos." -
Suidas "Adrasteia"
"Nemesis: Justice. Aristophanes [writes]: 'O Nemesis, and deep-roaring
thunderclaps." - Suidas "Nemesis"
"Nemesis: Vengeance, justice, outrage, [divine] jealousy, fortune. 'Perceiving
Nemesis, the executioner of braggarts, who pursued them with justice.' And
again: 'he did not escape the notice of Nemesis who opposes all the arrogant,
but was compelled to be taught a lesson in his own misfortunes.' 'Nemesis was
present, she who watches the things of the earth'; or in other words, she who
watches unjust acts. Babrios says [this] in the Fables. And Aelian [says]:
'palpable evidence of Nemesis the overseer, chastizing proud and disdainful
ways'.
And a proverb: 'At least Nemesis walks at your feet'; that is to say that the
goddess swiftly pursues wrong-doers. 'Unnoticed she walks at your feet, snaps
your haughty neck, and always holds sway over your sustenance with her forearm."
- Suidas "Nemesis"
Alan
"Can't you see we're still here,
Can't you see we're still here,
Singing loud; Singing clear,
We shall not go under,
We're still here."
Nemesis Peace Centre
http://www.veloceraptor.free-online.../protector.html
Abuse of Women and Children
http://theoriginalfirebird.blogspot.com/
Nemesis News
http://lordcerneabbas.blogspot.com/
Absolute Anarchy
http://lordcerneabbastoo.blogspot.com/
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