Statuette of Nemesis with Portrait Resembling the Empress Faustina I (Front)

The goddess Nemesis, the personification of moral right and retribution, stands surrounded by symbols of her power. Her right foot rests on the body of a conquered transgressor. Her left hand holds the wheel of fortune, a symbol of her control of destiny. The wheel rests on a globe representing the cosmos, and then an altar. Her wings indicate the swiftness of her vengeance.

This statuette is not a standard portrayal of Nemesis, however. The unknown Roman sculptor has given the goddess the facial features and hairstyle of Faustina I, the wife of the Roman emperor Antoninus Pius, who ruled from A.D. 138 to 161. Members of the imperial family and other wealthy high-status Romans often chose to have themselves depicted in the guise of gods or mythological figures. The depiction of Faustina as Nemesis emphasizes her role as protectress of the empire. This statuette was probably displayed in a shrine dedicated to the worship of the Roman emperor.