Why is she blindfolded, carries a sword and the scales (represents balanced justice??) symbols at her feet........just curious, also i notice she wears armor type of girdle. Any help??
2006-11-13 06:00:50 · 7 answers · asked by toni l 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Government
Lady Justice (Justitia, the Roman Goddess of Justice and sometimes, simply "Justice") is a personification of the moral force that underlies the legal system. Since the Renaissance, Justitia has frequently been depicted as a bare-breasted woman carrying a sword and scales, and sometimes wearing a blindfold. Her modern iconography, which frequently adorns courthouses and courtrooms, conflates the attributes of several goddesses who embodied Right Rule for Greeks and Romans, blended with Roman blindfolded Fortuna (Greek Tyche).
In Antiquity, Dike, daughter of Themis, was imagined carrying scales: "If some god had been holding level the balance of Dike" is an image in a fragment of Bacchylides.
As stated above, Lady Justice is often depicted wearing a blindfold. Due to the fact that blindfolds were commonly worn by the blind, some assume Lady Justice herself is blind. This belief is likely what led to the phrase, "Justice is blind".
Justice is most often depicted with a set of weighing scales typically suspended from her left hand, upon which she measures the strengths of a case's support and opposition. She iss also often seen carrying a double edged sword in her right hand which divides with the power of Reason in either direction simultaneously.
2006-11-13 06:14:01 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Lady Justice symbolizes the fair and equal administration of the law, without corruption, greed, prejudice, or favor.
As far as "Justice is blind" thing goes, some like to think of her as not blind, but wearing a blindfold. As in she can see differences in justice, yet blocks them out to be as fair as possible. Or, it could be her tolerance for abuses in the justice system, as portrayed by the poet Langston Hughes. This is still uncertain and up for debate. The scales symbolize impartiality and the sword power. I believe that she is sometimes standing on the books of law, and dress symbolizes the enduring battle for truth and justice.
I’ve listed a link that further explains the figure of justice. Its from the Office of the Curator, Supreme Court of the United States.
"Justice is justly represented blind, because she sees no difference in the parties concerned. She has but one scale and weight, for rich and poor, great and small. Her sentence is not guided by the person, but the cause.... Impartiality is the life of justice, as that is of government." -- William Penn
Justice by Langston Hughes
That Justice is a blind goddess
Is a thing to which we black are wise:
Her bandage hides two festering sores
That once perhaps were eyes.
2006-11-13 06:49:20 · answer #2 · answered by Sensible_5 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She is blindfolded so that she does not discriminate by race, color, creed, etc. She carries a sword to enforce justice and fight injustice, the balanced scales means she considers all evidence and gives a fair "balanced" verdict. The armor is like the sword, keeping injustice from overcoming her.
Something like that anyway....
Sue
2006-11-13 06:04:50 · answer #3 · answered by newbiegranny 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is meant to represent blind justice. Equal for all and only considering the facts in evidence not the person background.
Sword is to represent cutting through things to get to the hidden truth.
2006-11-13 06:04:14 · answer #4 · answered by surfnsfree 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Keeps Colossus of Rhodes from looking up her dress.
2006-11-13 06:02:26 · answer #5 · answered by jerofjungle 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You raise some good points here.
2016-08-23 10:36:59 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is a good question
2016-08-08 19:16:56 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋