The Voice of Divine Order
Themis was a Titaness, daughter of Uranus and Gaia, who personified divine law, custom, and the right ordering of things. Where mortal courts apply written statutes, Themis stood for the deeper, unchanging order of the cosmos — the natural justice that governs gods and mortals alike. She is the figure behind the modern image of blind Justice holding scales and sword.
Her name comes from the Greek themis, meaning "that which is laid down" — established custom, divine law, the right thing to do. The Romans knew her counterpart as Justitia, from whom we get the very word "justice."
Unlike most of her Titan brothers, Themis was welcomed into the new Olympian order. She became an early consort of Zeus and his trusted counselor, bearing him the Horae (the Seasons) and the Moirai (the Fates). She also held the oracle at Delphi before Apollo, speaking prophecy from the navel of the world.
Divine, eternal law — the cosmic order that binds even the gods.
Her daughter, the spirit of human justice and fair judgment.
Her Roman counterpart, the blindfolded Lady Justice with scales and sword.
Common Questions
What was Themis the goddess of?
Themis was the Titaness of divine law, order, custom, and prophecy. She represented the unchanging cosmic justice that governs both gods and mortals, distinct from the human-made laws of the courts.
Is Themis the same as Lady Justice?
The familiar blindfolded figure of Lady Justice descends from Themis and her Roman counterpart Justitia. The scales and sword she carries are Themis's symbols of impartial, divine judgment.
