Dike (mythology)
Ancient Greek goddess of justice / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Dike (goddess)?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
In Greek mythology, Dike or Dice[1] (/ˈdaɪkiː/ or /ˈdaɪsiː/;[2] Greek: Δίκη, díkē, 'custom') is the goddess of justice and the spirit of moral order and fair judgement as a transcendent universal ideal or based on immemorial custom, in the sense of socially enforced norms and conventional rules. According to Hesiod (Theogony, l. 901), she was fathered by Zeus upon his second consort, Themis. She and her mother are both personifications of justice. She is depicted as a young, slender woman carrying a balance scale and wearing a laurel wreath. The constellation Libra (the Scales) was anciently thought to represent her distinctive symbol.
Dike | |
---|---|
Goddess of justice and the spirit of moral order and fair judgement | |
Member of The Horae | |
An 1886 bas-relief figure of Dike Astraea in the Old Supreme Court Chamber at the Vermont State House | |
Abode | Mount Olympus |
Symbol | Scales / Balance |
Genealogy | |
Parents | Zeus and Themis |
Siblings | Horae, Eirene, Eunomia, Moirai and several paternal half-siblings |
Equivalents | |
Roman equivalent | Justitia |
She is often associated with Astraea, the goddess of innocence and purity. Astraea is also one of her epithets, referring to her appearance in the nearby constellation Virgo which is said to represent Astraea. This reflects her symbolic association with Astraea, who, too, has a similar iconography.