Why are her eyes closed: Who is Themis?

The statue of Themis, representing justice and order, has the scales of justice in one hand and a sword in the other, and is blindfolded. Libra symbolizes the balanced distribution of justice, the sword symbolizes the sharpness of justice, being a woman symbolizes independence, and being blindfolded symbolizes impartiality.

The "Statue of Themis", also known as the Statue of Justice, takes its origin from Themis, the goddess of justice and order in Greek mythology.

In addition to being the goddess of justice and order, Themis is also known as the "goddess of law". Themis is actually the universal and immutable law of nature itself. Her father is Uranus, one of the oldest gods in Greek Mythology, and her mother is Gaia, also one of the oldest goddesses. The meaning of its name is derived from the root meaning "to put, to place, to place".

In Greek mythology and religion, Themis (romanized: Themis, lit. 'justice, law, custom') is the goddess and personification of justice, divine order, law, and custom. She is one of the twelve Titan children of Gaia and Uranus, and the second wife of Zeus. She is associated with oracles and prophecies, including the Oracle of Delphi. Her symbol is the Scales of Justice.

The counterpart of Themis in Roman mythology is Justita. In Egyptian mythology, the goddess of justice and truth is Maat. Maat, unlike Themis and Justita, also carries the "Feather of Truth".

Although it is not known exactly who the sculptor who created the statue is, one thing is known: The Themis statue will be the representative of justice wherever you go in the world. However, there are also different versions of the statue that have been modified in different geographies. Sometimes we can find Themis with her hair gathered in a bun at the nape of her neck, and sometimes with it flowing over her shoulders. Although we usually see her with a sword in her left hand and a scale in her right hand, in some depictions she can also appear oppositely.

The scales in Themis' left hand actually represent justice and the balanced distribution of justice. The figure of Libra also represents the fair presentation of evidence to the court on both sides. It represents the constant making of this comparison until justice is done. In addition, the fact that the scales are hanging from Themis' hand indicates that the evidence will be presented and evaluated as it is, without being changed for any other reason.

The sword in Themis's right hand indicates that the provisions and punishments required by justice must be fulfilled, and if not, they will be fulfilled by "using force" with the sword. The fact that both ends of the sword are sharp means that it can cut on both sides when justice is required. Another meaning of the sword is that it expresses respect. The meaning here is that justice will be fulfilled even by using force when necessary. At the same time, the fact that the sword is clearly visible in Themis' hand and is not hidden can be considered an indication of how "transparent" justice is. Therefore, Themis, with her sword in her hand, not only makes the decision and steps aside but also carries out justice herself.

According to some commentators, this huge sword is actually not suitable for operations that require special attention and care. In other words, the goddess strikes the sword and splits it in half. Some say that the word judgment comes from this root. In fact, in the first depictions of Themis, her eyes were closed, but in the 16th century, artists began to depict her with a blindfold over her eyes. Themis's eyes are closed, which is a symbol of her impartiality and justice, so to speak, "blindly". In other words, while ensuring justice, it prevents any influence depending on the plaintiff and the defendant. This enables an unbiased evaluation. In other words, Themis can make an evaluation completely unbiased and impartial, away from money, fame, and position.

In some depictions, Themis is seen with a book in her hand. This book represents laws and living by the law. Themis is usually seen in a white dress and the fact that she is a virgin represents her purity and independence. Another detail that can be noticed if you look at the statue carefully is the snake figure under one of Themis' feet. What this means is that it puts the evils in society under its feet.