Nemesis - Nemesisu (English spelling)

A goddess in Greek mythology. She is interpreted as the personification of righteous indignation against injustice, especially the divine anger against the arrogant words and actions of humans, and retribution as divine punishment. According to Hesiod, she is said to be the daughter of Nyx (the god of night), but she abandoned the human world along with the goddess Aedes (Shame) during the "Iron Age." She is also said to have had intercourse with Zeus, who had transformed into a swan, and gave birth to Helen and the Dioscuri. Nemesis often appears in literature, especially tragedies, where her character is developed. It is said that as an object of worship, ceremonies were already being held around the 6th century BC, and her temple at Rhamnus in Attica was famous.

[Teruo Ito]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ギリシア神話の女神。不当な事柄に対する義憤、とくに人間の高慢な言動に対する神の怒りと、神罰としての報復の擬人化と解釈されている。ヘシオドスによれば、この女神はニクス（夜の神）の娘とされているが、女神アイドス（羞恥(しゅうち)）とともに「鉄の時代」になると人間界を見捨ててしまう。また白鳥に身を変じたゼウスと交わって、ヘレネとディオスクロイを生んだとも伝えられる。ネメシスは文学、とくに悲劇にしばしば登場し、その性格が深化されている。崇拝の対象としては紀元前6世紀ごろにすでに祭儀が執り行われていたといわれ、アッティカ地方のラムヌスにある神殿は有名であった。

［伊藤照夫］

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