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There is actually a lot of controversy about Dike's story, but
all agree that she was the daughter of Zeus and Themis, the goddess of
divine
justice, depicted with scale, sword and blindfold, and that she herself
was a personifications of human justice, often called a goddess
of innocence and purity as well, though she never really developed into
a real personality. She presided over the apportionment of things among
mortals, the protection of individuals and the keeping of social and political
order, as well as being an instrument in punishing wrong doers and rewarding
those who did good deeds. According to the myths she is either the same
as or confused with the goddess Astraea, another goddess of justice born
of Themis and Zeus, though Astraea was also said to be the daughter of
Eos and Astraeus 1. They say that Astraea's head was crowned with ears
of grain and she carried a scale for balance and measure, though Dike is
usually depicted carrying a sword and without the scale. Astraea was that
last immortal to leave after the golden age, and Dike too stayed for a
long time; she is said to have stayed through the silver and golden ages,
leaving the earth in the bronze age, when man first began to forge swords,
and becoming the constellation virgo. Even after her acsention, Dike was
still worshipped, for no one dared to go against justice; anyone who worked
for injustice was thought to be mad.
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