Nemesis

   Greek goddess of vengeance, divine justice, and retribution against evil deeds. Nemesis, whose name means “dispenser of dues,” was called upon by ancient Greeks and Romans to exorcise and avert DEMONs and POSSESSION.

   In mythology, Nemesis is the daughter of either Oceanus or Zeus. She is usually portrayed as a somber winged maiden with a whip, rein, sword, or scales in her left hand. Sometimes she is portrayed as holding a cubit ruler in her left hand and a staff in her right, with one foot on a wheel. She personifies resentment against men who commit callous crimes, those who are wicked and insolent, and those who have too much good fortune. Her job is to be the “leveler,” to effect equilibrium by making sure that wrongdoers get their due.

   The Romans called Nemesis Invidia (Jealousy) and Rivalitas (Jealous Rivalry). In modern terms, a “nemesis” is one’s worst enemy.

   Nemesis-stone rings were AMULETs against evil. A Nemesis stone was a stone taken from an altar to Nemesis and engraved with her image. Placed under the stone were the tip of a duck wing and a piece of a mullein, called “death plant.” When this ring amulet was given to a person who was possessed, it caused the demon to confess himself and flee. When worn around the neck, the ring warded off nightmares caused by demons and protected children against LAMIAE. The ring also cured “moonstruck” conditions (insanity). In order for the ring to work properly, the wearer had to avoid everything abominable and wicked. Lore also held that the ring would reveal the length of someone’s life and the manner of his or her death.

   FURTHER READING:

   - Ogden, Daniel. Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts in the Greek and Roman Worlds: A Sourcebook. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.