Astraea (Greek: Ἀστραῖα;", meaning "star-maiden", not to be confused with Asteria, a star goddess) was a daughter of Zeus and the Titaness Themis, who was the Olympian god's second consort and goddess of Justice. Both Astraea and her mother were ancient personifications of Justice, along with the Greek goddess Dike.

More associated with innocence and purity than her mother, Astraea determined whether departed souls could enter the Elysian Fields, there to find eternal bliss, or if instead they would be consigned to the dreaded Underworld, there to join other disconsolate Shades.

Some consider her the daughter of Astreus and Eos, goddess of the Dawn. Astraea is often depicted as a winged woman, carrying a torch and the scales of justice, and was said to have assisted Zeus on the battlefield -- she is even portrayed carrying his lightning bolts, in the form of 'Astrape' (Lightning), a very rare honor.

Now, you will hear people call her the "virgin goddess", and that has led to much confusion between the major constellation myths of Libra the Scales and Virgo the Virgin.

Some claim that the woman holding the ear of corn in Virgo is Astraea, not Persephone. The scales of justice that glide by her side in the zodiac are her scales. The two never leave one another's side, forever connecting the two constellations within a single mythology.

Astraea was the last of the Immortal gods to live among humans, taking the Golden Age along with her when she departed for Mount Olympus to join Zeus and the other deities

 As the turning Wheel of the Ages inexorably moved into darker times, Astraea remained behind on earth to offer hope and guidance to the quickly-degrading humanity.

To better understand her balancing role, let's take a quick peek at the Five Ages of Man, which are the key stages of human existence on the Earth according to Greek mythology.

The successive ages of humanity tend to progress from an original, Utopian age, in which humans enjoyed a nearly divine existence, to the current age, in which humans are beset by innumerable pains and evils.

This degradation of the human condition over time is indicated symbolically with metals of successively decreasing value, with Gold being the loftiest and Iron the basest..

Here are the Five Ages, according to Hesiod from 'Theogony':

Golden Age: The best of times! It occurred within the rule of Titan Cronus, prior to his violent and bloody overthrow by Zeus and the Olympians. This age featured splendid humans magically molded out of the earth by the loving hands of the Titan Prometheus. They were said to live among the gods, and freely mingled with them.

Peace and harmony prevailed during this age, for there was great awareness of humankind's interconnectedness to each other, and to Mother Earth. Those highly developed mortals recognized that to kill is to be killed.

Humans did not have to work to feed themselves during the Golden Age, for the earth provided food in abundance. These noble people lived to a very old age but amazingly they maintained a youthful appearance and eventually died peacefully. Their spirits lived on as "Guardians", or "Speakers", to guide and instruct future generations. 

The philosopher Plato recounts the golden race of men who came first. He clarifies that Hesiod did not mean men literally made of gold, but rather men who were upright and noble. He describes these men as daemons upon the earth. These 'δαίμονες' ('daimones', meaning 'knowing' or 'wise'), were beneficent and benevolent spirits , preventing illnesses and ill-will and watching over mortals.

Silver Age: The next four ages occurred within the reign of Zeus, Lord of the Olympian gods.

Men in the Silver age lived for one hundred years as juveniles under the dominion of their mothers. They lived only a short time as grown adults, and spent that time in strife with one another.

During this Age men arrogantly refused to worship the gods or offer them righteous sacrifice and Zeus ended up destroying them for their impiety. After death, humans of this age became "blessed spirits", residing in the domain of Hades, the Underworld.

Bronze Age: Humans during this period were hardened and cruel, as war was their driving purpose and passion. Zeus created these humans out of the ash tree. Their armor was forged of bronze, as were their homes, and tools.

The men of this martial Age were undone by their own violent ways. They ended up destroying themselves in their ignorance and left no named spirits; instead, they dwell in the "dank house of Hades".

This benighted Age came to an end with the great Flood of Deucalion, sent by Zeus to punish offensive humans and give the earth a fresh start.

Heroic Age: This age does not correspond with any metal. It's also the only age that is an improvement upon the age it follows. These humans were created from the 'bones of the earth' (stones) through the actions of Deucalion and Pyrrha, sole survivors of the preceding age's Flood.

In this period men co-inhabited the earth with noble demigods and heroes. It was the heroes of this Age, such as Hercules, Jason, Perseus, Theseus, Bellerophon, Atalanta, Achilles and more, who fought at Thebes and Troy and provided us with most heroic myths.

This race of humans eventually died and was consigned to Elysium, the Isle of the Blessed.

Iron Age: During this current age humans live a drab and unfulfilling existence of toil and misery. Children dishonor their parents and brother quarrels with brother.

Xenia (Hospitality) -- which involves the generosity and courtesy shown to those who were far from home -- the sacred social contract between guest and host is forgotten or ignored.

It's an age of brute force, where might-makes-right, and evil men use deception and duplicity to convince gullible humans that they are righteous and moral, so that they can be fleeced and exploited.

At the height of this Iron Age, humans no longer feel shame or indignation at corruption and malignant wrongdoing; babies are born with gray hair and the gods, filled with revulsion at such lack of pathos and awareness, will have completely forsaken humanity. With the deities absent,

"There will be no defense against evil." (Hesiod)

Wow. Sure does sound like present times, doesn't it? Is there hope?

Here's the poet Hesiod, lamenting the ignoble fall from grace:

"Would that I were not among the men of the Fifth Age, but either had died before or been born afterwards. For now truly is a race of iron, and men never rest from labor and sorrow by day . . .

"And they will deteriorate over time so that: Strength will be right and reverence will cease to be; and the wicked will hurt the worthy man, speaking false words against him, and will swear an oath upon them

Zelos (Envy), foul-mouthed, delighting in evil, with scowling face, will go along with wretched men one and all."

With the dawn of the Iron Age quickly the world degenerated into a cesspool of increasing ignorance and violence, and goddess Astraea grew weary. Unable to tolerate any longer the greed, falsehoods, avarice and general wickedness of the base humans, Justice, along with Aidos (Respect), left earth for Mount Olympus.

And gods no longer dwelt on earth with mankind. 

The poet Hesiod again aptly describes the scene as the last of the deities make a hasty departure from earth:

"(the gods)...shrouding their bright forms in pale mantles, shall go from the wide-wayed earth back to Olympus, forsaking the whole race of mortal men, and all that will be left by them to mankind will be wretched pain. And there shall be no defense against evil."

Ovid offers his take in 'Metamorphoses' -- "Last came the Race of Iron. In that hard age of baser vein all evil straight broke out, and honor fled and truth and loyalty, replaced by fraud, deceit and treachery and violence and wicked greed for gain...Honor and love lay vanquished, Astraea, virgin divine, the last of the Immortals, fled away."

But all was not lost! It is said that once humans came to their senses and realized what they had done, they hoped for her to return, inferring that she would bring the Golden Age back with her. The poet Ovid states:

"Iam redit et virgo, redeunt Saturnia Regna" -- "The Virgin and the Days of Old return".

According to ancient legends, as the wheel of the ages turns once again toward light, Astraea will return to Earth as an ambassador of another Golden Age. Since she was the last of the gods to leave, perhaps she will be the first to return as a harbinger of a new dispensation and a revived awareness of humanity's social obligation towards each other..

Some believe that Astraea's image is that portrayed on the "Justice" card in the major arcana of the tarot. In the most famous rendition of the card's artwork, a winged woman carrying a torch and thunderbolts stands beside the throne of Zeus. The name "Astrape" ('lightning bolt')is inscribed above her. Sounds like Astraea.

She is represented with the accoutrements of a star-goddess -- wings, bright aureole and flaming torch.

The stars that form the golden scales of Libra lie halfway around the band of the Greek zodiac, between Virgo and Scorpio. Day and night are equal when the sun passes through the constellation of Libra.

The scales are a symbol of balance and equity. It has been suggested that the scales are in allusion to the fact that when the sun entered this part of the ecliptic at the autumnal equinox, the days and nights are equal. 

The fact that the ancient Greeks gave Libra such a prominent place in the sky, signifies that they considered justice, equity and balance in general, to be the moral cornerstones of an ideal way of living. Libra has been associated with law, fairness, co-operation and civility, all admirable and desirable traits of a civilized and advanced society.

After leaving Earth, Astraea is said to have been "placed in the heavens", which is most likely why some mythologists believe her to be the constellation "Virgo" itself, rather than Persephone. They suggest that she became the constellation Virgo and her scales of justice became the constellation Libra.

Libra is the only zodiac sign that does not symbolize a living person or creature, but rather a concept - Justice.

Regardless, that didn't prevent Libra the Scales of Justice from joining the honored and exalted Little Animals in a Circle.

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