DIKAIOSYNE

DIKAIOSYNE (Dicaeosyne) was the personified spirit (daimona) of righteousness and justice. She was closely related to Dike (Justice).

PARENTS

Presumably a daughter of ZEUS

CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES

Orphic Hymn 63 to Dicaeosyne (trans. Taylor) (Greek hymns C3rd B.C. to 2nd A.D.) :
"To Dikaiosyne (Dicaeosyne), Fumigation from Frankincense. O blessed Dikaiosyne, mankind's delight, the eternal friend of conduct just and right: abundant, venerable, honoured maid, to judgements pure dispensing constant aid, and conscience stable, and an upright mind; for men unjust by thee are undermined, whose souls perverse thy bondage never desire, but more untamed decline thy scourges dire. Harmonious, friendly power, averse to strife, in peace rejoicing, and a stable life: lovely, convivial, of a gentle mind, hating excess, to equal deeds inclined: wisdom and virtue, of whatever degree, receive their proper bound alone in thee. Hear, Goddess Dikaiosyne, the deeds destroy of evil men, which human life annoy; that all may yield to thee of mortal birth, whether supported by the fruits of earth, or in her kindly fertile bosom found, or in the realms of marine Zeus profound."

Philostratus, Life of Apollonius of Tyana 1. 28 (trans. Conybeare) (Greek biography C1st to C2nd A.D.) :
"[Darius, an historical king of Persia,] is said, when he felt that his end was near at hand, to have offered a sacrifice to Dikaiosyne (Righteousness) and to have addressed her thus : ‘O lady mistress, or whosoever thou art.’ This shows that he had long loved justice and desired her, but as yet knew her not , nor deemed that he had won her."

SOURCES

GREEK

• The Orphic Hymns - Greek Hymns C3rd B.C. - C2nd A.D.
• Philostratus, Life of Apollonius of Tyana - Greek Biography C2nd A.D.

OTHER SOURCES

Other references not currently quoted here: Inscriptiones Graecae 3. 203, Sylloge Inscriptionum Graecum 1131, AP 9. 164.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page.