Nemesis; Revenge, Divine Retribution, & Vengeance

Nemesis: a mighty Greek deity who was revered by both mortals and gods alike. Feared for her ruthlessness and vengeful hand that delivered the coup de grace of divine retribution without remorse or second-thought. Feared - yet still feverishly pursued - by Zeus, the King of the Gods, himself. Nemesis needs no formal introduction, for she is the balance you see and breathe through every second of every day. She maintained and kept man - even the divine themselves - humble in ancient Greece, while still instilling fear and respect in everyone around her. Her effortlessly poised poison was laced with a power that only the strongest could wield; strength in mind, morale, and most importantly morals. It takes a mighty warrior, and especially a divine being, to have the ability to see balance in everything, yet still instill and maintain that said balance. But most mighty of all, to be able to see all perspectives and sides of a single story in such a way that you always restore the scales of justice to their established equilibrium. That is who Nemesis was: a goddess with perfectly poised power, the restorer of the scales of justice, and a valiant warrior who ensured her foes’ fates were inescapable and always fair; a true femme fatale. 

5 Fast Facts:

• Nemesis is the one who turned Narcissus into a narcissus flower (most commonly known as a daffodil) in the ancient myth of Narcissus and Nemesis.

• Lineage: The goddess of vengeance and wrath was the daughter of Nyx, Goddess of Night and Darkness. Feared by Zeus himself because of her power and prowess that no man or divine could diminish or challenge without severe repercussions. Nemesis’ father remains unknown and is a heavily debated topic due to the multiple ancient myths and hymns stating her father’s identity. 

• Nemesis and Zeus produced the infamous twin sisters, Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra, as well as the twin brothers Castor and Pollux. 

• According to myth, Nemesis was a key player and heavy influencer to the Battle of Troy which began due the sublime and ineffable beauty of Helen of Troy. 

• Her signature sin that she dealt with was hubris. Which is the act of being excessively prideful, boastful, and defying the gods or overstepping your mortal boundaries to such a great extent that you bring upon your own downfall. Sound familiar? Achilles, an agile demigod infected with the disease of excessive pride and uncontrollable rage committed hubris to an immeasurable and innumerable amount. 

Nemesis is most prevalent and known for her influence, both direct and indirect, in the Homeric poems: The Iliad and The Odyssey. This divine goddess also appears in the Homeric Hymns, though not directly mentioned, her lineage and therefore backstory is depicted. As a whole, Nemesis was heavily mentioned and influential in ancient Greek legends, myths, and folktales. Whether it was a divine intervention, blessing that balanced the scales, or a lesson that needed to be instilled in mortals and gods alike.

However, in modern-day culture and society even the word “nemesis” holds power. Directly influenced and named after the goddess herself, someone’s arch-nemesis, is usually someone who pushes you to do your absolute best in an effort to surpass or succeed against them. True to the namesake - your nemesis, whether in good jest or not, is someone you are in constant combat against: mentally, emotionally, and/or physically. And while this can be infuriating and absolutely maddening at times, this person pushes you to be the best possible version of you. The person you become as a result of competing against this infamous foe. Your nemesis, whether that be your true enemy, friend, or foe, makes you better. For that is the balance and holistic beauty of the goddess herself - Nemesis; whose name loosely translates to “she who distributes or deals out” in ancient Greek. 

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