The Horae

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THE HORAE (HOURS) WERE THE GREEK AND ROMAN GODDESSES OF TIME; THEY RULED OVER THE SEASONS AND EVERY HOUR OF THE DAY. THEY WERE BORN FROM THE UNION OF ZEUS AND THEMIS. THERE WERE ACTUALLY TWO GENERATIONS OF HORAE. THE ANCIENT GREEKS ONLY RECOGNIZED THE SEASONS--SPRING, SUMMER, AND AUTUMN--SO THE FIRST GENERATION CONSISTED OF ONLY THREE GODDESSES--THALLO (SPROUTING), AUXO (GROWTH), AND CARPHO (WITHERING). THEY REFLECTED THE THREE FORCES AT WORK IN THE CYCLE OF NATURE. THALLAS, THE GODDESS OF SPRING WAS THE BRINGER OF THE FLOWERS, A PROTECTRESS OF YOUTH. AUXO WAS THE GODDESS OF THE SUMMER AND THE GROWTH OF THE CROPS. CARPHO WAS IN CHARGE OF THE AUTUM, THE RIPENING OF THE FRUITS, THE HARVESTING.

THE SECOND GENERATION COMPRISED EUNOMIA (LAWFUL ORDER), DIKE (JUSTICE), AND EIRENE (PEACE). NOTICE HOW THE HORAE HAVE CHANGED FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT. IT WAS ONLY NATURAL THAT BECAUSE THEY WERE ORIGINALLY THE GODDESSES OF ORDERLY THINGS SUCH AS THE SEASONS, THAT THEY WOULD BECOME THE GODDESSES OF JUSTICE. SO, WE BEGAN WITH A TRIO OF YOUNG, BEAUTIFUL GODDESS WHO RULED OVER THE SEASON, AND THE NEXT GENERATION IS MAINTAING THE STABILITY OF THE SOCIETY. EUNOMIA, DIKE, AND EIRENE WARE USUALLY DEPICTED AS YOUNG MAIDENS WITH BEAUTIFUL, FLOWING HAIR AND A LIGHT FOOTSTEP.

EUNOMIA WAS THE GODDESS OF LAW AND LEGISLATION.

DIKE WAS THE GODDESS OF MORAL JUSTICE. SHE RULED OVER HUMAN JUSTICE WHILE HER MOTHER, THEMIS, RULED OVER DIVINE JUSTICE. DIKE HAD BEEN BORN A MORTAL, AND ZEUS PLACED HER ON EARTH TO KEEP MANKIND JUST. THIS QUICKLY PROVED AN IMPOSSIBLE JOB, AND HE REMOVED HER FROM EARTH, PLACING HER NEXT TO HIM ON OLYMPUS. FINALLY, LOSING HOPE FOR HUMANITY ALTOGEHTER, SHE ASCENDED TO THE HEAVENS AND BECAME THE CONSTELLATION VIRGO.

EIRENE WAS THE PERSONIFICATION OF PEAE AND WEALTH AND WAS USUALLY DEPICTED AS A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG MAIDEN CARRYING A CORNUCOPIA, SCEPTER, AND A TORCH.

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