Adikia (Greek: Ἀδικία) in Greek mythology represents a lesser deity that embodies injustice. It serves as a repugnant manifestation created to regulate the actions of its sister, Dike, the goddess of justice. It is presumed to be the daughter of the goddess Nyx or Eris, the goddess of discord.
Mythology
Similar to her mother Eris, she sowed discord wherever she appeared. Adikia personifies lawlessness, injustice, and inequality. In mythology, she was often accompanied by the goddess Dysnomia (personification of anarchy) and Ate (deception, turmoil). Depicted as an arrogant and ugly woman, she stands in stark contrast to her sister Dike, who embodies justice.
Representation
According to a Greek travelogue from the 2nd century CE, among the Kipseloi paintings in Olympia, there was an image depicting a beautiful woman (Dike) punishing an ugly woman (Adikia). In this representation, Dike is strangling Adikia with one hand and striking her with an object she has grabbed with the other. This serves as a metaphorical depiction of the eternal struggle between justice and injustice, where the balance must always be at zero, or else the world will descend into complete chaos.
“A beautiful woman is punishing an ugly one, choking her with one hand and with the other striking her with a staff. It is Justice (Dike) who thus treats Injustice (Adikia).
