The Iliad Homer

Book I
The quarrel between Agamemnon and AchillesAchilles withdraws from the war, and sends his mother Thetis to ask Jove to help the Trojans Scene between Jove and Juno on Ol mpus! Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of "eleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans! #an a brave soul did it send hurr ing down to $ades, and man a hero did it ield a pre to dogs and vultures, for so were the counsels of Jove fulfilled from the da on which the son of Atreus, king of men, and great Achilles, first fell out with one another! And which of the gods was it that set them on to quarrel% &t was the son of Jove and 'eto( for he was angr with the king and sent a pestilence upon the host to plague the people, because the son of Atreus had dishonoured )hr ses his priest! *ow )hr ses had come to the ships of the Achaeans to free his daughter, and had brought with him a great ransom+ moreover he bore in his hand the sceptre of Apollo wreathed with a suppliant,s wreath, and he besought the Achaeans, but most of all the two sons of Atreus, who were their chiefs! -Sons of Atreus,- he cried, -and all other Achaeans, ma the gods who dwell in Ol mpus grant ou to sack the cit of "riam, and to reach our homes in safet ( but free m daughter, and accept a ransom for her, in reverence to Apollo, son of Jove!On this the rest of the Achaeans with one voice were for respecting the priest and taking the ransom that he offered( but not so Agamemnon, who spoke fiercel to him and sent him roughl awa ! -Old man,- said he, -let me not find ou tarr ing about our ships, nor et coming hereafter! .our sceptre of the god and our wreath shall profit ou nothing! & will not free her! She shall grow old in m house at Argos far from her own home, bus ing herself with her loom and visiting m couch( so go, and do not provoke me or it shall be the worse for ou!The old man feared him and obe ed! *ot a word he spoke, but went b the shore of the sounding sea and pra ed apart to /ing Apollo whom lovel 'eto had borne! -$ear me,- he cried, -O god of the silver bow, that protectest )hr se and hol )illa and rulest Tenedos with th might, hear me oh thou of Sminthe! &f & have ever decked our temple with garlands, or burned our thigh0bones in fat of bulls or goats, grant m pra er, and let our arrows avenge these m tears upon the 1anaans!-

Thus did he pra , and Apollo heard his pra er! $e came down furious from the summits of Ol mpus, with his bow and his quiver upon his shoulder, and the arrows rattled on his back with the rage that trembled within him! $e sat himself down awa from the ships with a face as dark as night, and his silver bow rang death as he shot his arrow in the midst of them! 2irst he smote their mules and their hounds, but presentl he aimed his shafts at the people themselves, and all da long the p res of the dead were burning! 2or nine whole da s he shot his arrows among the people, but upon the tenth da Achilles called them in assembl moved thereto b Juno, who saw the Achaeans in their death0throes and had compassion upon them! Then, when the were got together, he rose and spoke among them! -Son of Atreus,- said he, -& deem that we should now turn roving home if we would escape destruction, for we are being cut down b war and pestilence at once! 'et us ask some priest or prophet, or some reader of dreams 3for dreams, too, are of Jove4 who can tell us wh "hoebus Apollo is so angr , and sa whether it is for some vow that we have broken, or hecatomb that we have not offered, and whether he will accept the savour of lambs and goats without blemish, so as to take awa the plague from us!5ith these words he sat down, and )alchas son of Thestor, wisest of augurs, who knew things past present and to come, rose to speak! $e it was who had guided the Achaeans with their fleet to &lius, through the prophes ings with which "hoebus Apollo had inspired him! 5ith all sincerit and goodwill he addressed them thus+ -Achilles, loved of heaven, ou bid me tell ou about the anger of /ing Apollo, & will therefore do so( but consider first and swear that ou will stand b me heartil in word and deed, for & know that & shall offend one who rules the Argives with might, to whom all the Achaeans are in subjection! A plain man cannot stand against the anger of a king, who if he swallow his displeasure now, will et nurse revenge till he has wreaked it! )onsider, therefore, whether or no ou will protect me!And Achilles answered, -2ear not, but speak as it is borne in upon ou from heaven, for b Apollo, )alchas, to whom ou pra , and whose oracles ou reveal to us, not a 1anaan at our ships shall la his hand upon ou, while & et live to look upon the face of the earthno, not though ou name Agamemnon himself, who is b far the foremost of the Achaeans!Thereon the seer spoke boldl ! -The god,- he said, -is angr neither about vow nor hecatomb, but for his priest,s sake, whom Agamemnon has dishonoured, in that he would not free his daughter nor take a ransom for her( therefore has he sent these evils upon us, and will et send others!

$e will not deliver the 1anaans from this pestilence till Agamemnon has restored the girl without fee or ransom to her father, and has sent a hol hecatomb to )hr se! Thus we ma perhaps appease him!5ith these words he sat down, and Agamemnon rose in anger! $is heart was black with rage, and his e es flashed fire as he scowled on )alchas and said, -Seer of evil, ou never et prophesied smooth things concerning me, but have ever loved to foretell that which was evil! .ou have brought me neither comfort nor performance( and now ou come seeing among 1anaans, and sa ing that Apollo has plagued us because & would not take a ransom for this girl, the daughter of )hr ses! & have set m heart on keeping her in m own house, for & love her better even than m own wife )l temnestra, whose peer she is alike in form and feature, in understanding and accomplishments! Still & will give her up if & must, for & would have the people live, not die( but ou must find me a pri6e instead, or & alone among the Argives shall be without one! This is not well( for ou behold, all of ou, that m pri6e is to go elsewhither!And Achilles answered, -#ost noble son of Atreus, covetous be ond all mankind, how shall the Achaeans find ou another pri6e% 5e have no common store from which to take one! Those we took from the cities have been awarded( we cannot disallow the awards that have been made alread ! 7ive this girl, therefore, to the god, and if ever Jove grants us to sack the cit of Tro we will requite ou three and fourfold!Then Agamemnon said, -Achilles, valiant though ou be, ou shall not thus outwit me! .ou shall not overreach and ou shall not persuade me! Are ou to keep our own pri6e, while & sit tamel under m loss and give up the girl at our bidding% 'et the Achaeans find me a pri6e in fair e8change to m liking, or & will come and take our own, or that of Aja8 or of 9l sses( and he to whomsoever & ma come shall rue m coming! :ut of this we will take thought hereafter( for the present, let us draw a ship into the sea, and find a crew for her e8pressl ( let us put a hecatomb on board, and let us send )hr seis also( further, let some chief man among us be in command, either Aja8, or &domeneus, or ourself, son of "eleus, might warrior that ou are, that we ma offer sacrifice and appease the anger of the god!Achilles scowled at him and answered, -.ou are steeped in insolence and lust of gain! 5ith what heart can an of the Achaeans do our bidding, either on fora or in open fighting% & came not warring here for an ill the Trojans had done me! & have no quarrel with them! The have not raided m cattle nor m horses, nor cut down m harvests on the rich plains of "hthia( for between me and them there is a great space, both mountain and sounding sea! 5e have followed ou, Sir &nsolence; for our pleasure, not oursto gain satisfaction from the Trojans for our shameless self and for #enelaus! .ou forget this, and threaten to rob me of the pri6e for which & have toiled, and which the sons of the Achaeans have given me!

*ever when the Achaeans sack an rich cit of the Trojans do & receive so good a pri6e as ou do, though it is m hands that do the better part of the fighting! 5hen the sharing comes, our share is far the largest, and &, forsooth, must go back to m ships, take what & can get and be thankful, when m labour of fighting is done! *ow, therefore, & shall go back to "hthia( it will be much better for me to return home with m ships, for & will not sta here dishonoured to gather gold and substance for ou!And Agamemnon answered, -2l if ou will, & shall make ou no pra ers to sta ou! & have others here who will do me honour, and above all Jove, the lord of counsel! There is no king here so hateful to me as ou are, for ou are ever quarrelsome and ill0affected! 5hat though ou be brave% 5as it not heaven that made ou so% 7o home, then, with our ships and comrades to lord it over the # rmidons! & care neither for ou nor for our anger( and thus will & do+ since "hoebus Apollo is taking )hr seis from me, & shall send her with m ship and m followers, but & shall come to our tent and take our own pri6e :riseis, that ou ma learn how much stronger & am than ou are, and that another ma fear to set himself up as equal or comparable with me!The son of "eleus was furious, and his heart within his shagg breast was divided whether to draw his sword, push the others aside, and kill the son of Atreus, or to restrain himself and check his anger! 5hile he was thus in two minds, and was drawing his might sword from its scabbard, #inerva came down from heaven 3for Juno had sent her in the love she bore to them both4, and sei6ed the son of "eleus b his ellow hair, visible to him alone, for of the others no man could see her! Achilles turned in ama6e, and b the fire that flashed from her e es at once knew that she was #inerva! -5h are ou here,- said he, -daughter of aegis0bearing Jove% To see the pride of Agamemnon, son of Atreus% 'et me tell ouand it shall surel behe shall pa for this insolence with his life!And #inerva said, -& come from heaven, if ou will hear me, to bid ou sta our anger! Juno has sent me, who cares for both of ou alike! )ease, then, this brawling, and do not draw our sword( rail at him if ou will, and our railing will not be vain, for & tell ouand it shall surel be that ou shall hereafter receive gifts three times as splendid b reason of this present insult! $old, therefore, and obe !-7oddess,- answered Achilles, -however angr a man ma be, he must do as ou two command him! This will be best, for the gods ever hear the pra ers of him who has obe ed them!$e sta ed his hand on the silver hilt of his sword, and thrust it back into the scabbard as #inerva bade him! Then she went back to Ol mpus among the other gods, and to the house of aegis0bearing Jove!

:ut the son of "eleus again began railing at the son of Atreus, for he was still in a rage! -5ine0bibber,- he cried, -with the face of a dog and the heart of a hind, ou never dare to go out with the host in fight, nor et with our chosen men in ambuscade! .ou shun this as ou do death itself! .ou had rather go round and rob his pri6es from an man who contradicts ou! .ou devour our people, for ou are king over a feeble folk( otherwise, son of Atreus, henceforward ou would insult no man! Therefore & sa , and swear it with a great oathna , b this m sceptre which shalt sprout neither leaf nor shoot, nor bud anew from the da on which it left its parent stem upon the mountainsfor the a8e stripped it of leaf and bark, and now the sons of the Achaeans bear it as judges and guardians of the decrees of heavenso surel and solemnl do & swear that hereafter the shall look fondl for Achilles and shall not find him! &n the da of our distress, when our men fall d ing b the murderous hand of $ector, ou shall not know how to help them, and shall rend our heart with rage for the hour when ou offered insult to the bravest of the Achaeans!5ith this the son of "eleus dashed his gold0bestudded sceptre on the ground and took his seat, while the son of Atreus was beginning fiercel from his place upon the other side! Then uprose smooth0tongued *estor, the facile speaker of the " lians, and the words fell from his lips sweeter than hone ! Two generations of men born and bred in " los had passed awa under his rule, and he was now reigning over the third! 5ith all sincerit and goodwill, therefore, he addressed them thus+ -Of a truth,- he said, -a great sorrow has befallen the Achaean land! Surel "riam with his sons would rejoice, and the Trojans be glad at heart if the could hear this quarrel between ou two, who are so e8cellent in fight and counsel! & am older than either of ou( therefore be guided b me! #oreover & have been the familiar friend of men even greater than ou are, and the did not disregard m counsels! *ever again can & behold such men as "irithous and 1r as shepherd of his people, or as )aeneus, <8adius, godlike "ol phemus, and Theseus son of Aegeus, peer of the immortals! These were the mightiest men ever born upon this earth+ mightiest were the , and when the fought the fiercest tribes of mountain savages the utterl overthrew them! & came from distant " los, and went about among them, for the would have me come, and & fought as it was in me to do! *ot a man now living could withstand them, but the heard m words, and were persuaded b them! So be it also with ourselves, for this is the more e8cellent wa ! Therefore, Agamemnon, though ou be strong, take not this girl awa , for the sons of the Achaeans have alread given her to Achilles( and ou, Achilles, strive not further with the king, for no man who b the grace of Jove wields a sceptre has like honour with Agamemnon! .ou are strong, and have a goddess for our mother( but Agamemnon is stronger than ou, for he has more people under him! Son of Atreus, check our anger, & implore ou( end this quarrel with Achilles, who in the da of battle is a tower of strength to the Achaeans!-

And Agamemnon answered, -Sir, all that ou have said is true, but this fellow must needs become our lord and master+ he must be lord of all, king of all, and captain of all, and this shall hardl be! 7ranted that the gods have made him a great warrior, have the also given him the right to speak with railing%Achilles interrupted him! -& should be a mean coward,- he cried, -were & to give in to ou in all things! Order other people about, not me, for & shall obe no longer! 2urthermore & sa and la m sa ing to our heart& shall fight neither ou nor an man about this girl, for those that take were those also that gave! :ut of all else that is at m ship ou shall carr awa nothing b force! Tr , that others ma see( if ou do, m spear shall be reddened with our blood!5hen the had quarrelled thus angril , the rose, and broke up the assembl at the ships of the Achaeans! The son of "eleus went back to his tents and ships with the son of #enoetius and his compan , while Agamemnon drew a vessel into the water and chose a crew of twent oarsmen! $e escorted )hr seis on board and sent moreover a hecatomb for the god! And 9l sses went as captain! These, then, went on board and sailed their wa s over the sea! :ut the son of Atreus bade the people purif themselves( so the purified themselves and cast their filth into the sea! Then the offered hecatombs of bulls and goats without blemish on the sea0shore, and the smoke with the savour of their sacrifice rose curling up towards heaven! Thus did the bus themselves throughout the host! :ut Agamemnon did not forget the threat that he had made Achilles, and called his trust messengers and squires Talth bius and <ur bates! -7o,- said he, -to the tent of Achilles, son of "eleus( take :riseis b the hand and bring her hither( if he will not give her & shall come with others and take herwhich will press him harder!$e charged them straightl further and dismissed them, whereon the went their wa sorrowfull b the seaside, till the came to the tents and ships of the # rmidons! The found Achilles sitting b his tent and his ships, and ill0pleased he was when he beheld them! The stood fearfull and reverentl before him, and never a word did the speak, but he knew them and said, -5elcome, heralds, messengers of gods and men( draw near( m quarrel is not with ou but with Agamemnon who has sent ou for the girl :riseis! Therefore, "atroclus, bring her and give her to them, but let them be witnesses b the blessed gods, b mortal men, and b the fierceness of Agamemnon,s anger, that if ever again there be need of me to save the people from ruin, the shall seek and the shall not find! Agamemnon is mad with rage and knows not how to look before and after that the Achaeans ma fight b their ships in safet !-

"atroclus did as his dear comrade had bidden him! $e brought :riseis from the tent and gave her over to the heralds, who took her with them to the ships of the Achaeansand the woman was loth to go! Then Achilles went all alone b the side of the hoar sea, weeping and looking out upon the boundless waste of waters! $e raised his hands in pra er to his immortal mother, -#other,- he cried, - ou bore me doomed to live but for a little season( surel Jove, who thunders from Ol mpus, might have made that little glorious! &t is not so! Agamemnon, son of Atreus, has done me dishonour, and has robbed me of m pri6e b force!As he spoke he wept aloud, and his mother heard him where she was sitting in the depths of the sea hard b the old man her father! 2orthwith she rose as it were a gre mist out of the waves, sat down before him as he stood weeping, caressed him with her hand, and said, -# son, wh are ou weeping% 5hat is it that grieves ou% /eep it not from me, but tell me, that we ma know it together!Achilles drew a deep sigh and said, -.ou know it( wh tell ou what ou know well alread % 5e went to Thebe the strong cit of <etion, sacked it, and brought hither the spoil! The sons of the Achaeans shared it dul among themselves, and chose lovel )hr seis as the meed of Agamemnon( but )hr ses, priest of Apollo, came to the ships of the Achaeans to free his daughter, and brought with him a great ransom+ moreover he bore in his hand the sceptre of Apollo, wreathed with a suppliant,s wreath, and he besought the Achaeans, but most of all the two sons of Atreus who were their chiefs! -On this the rest of the Achaeans with one voice were for respecting the priest and taking the ransom that he offered( but not so Agamemnon, who spoke fiercel to him and sent him roughl awa ! So he went back in anger, and Apollo, who loved him dearl , heard his pra er! Then the god sent a deadl dart upon the Argives, and the people died thick on one another, for the arrows went ever whither among the wide host of the Achaeans! At last a seer in the fulness of his knowledge declared to us the oracles of Apollo, and & was m self first to sa that we should appease him! 5hereon the son of Atreus rose in anger, and threatened that which he has since done! The Achaeans are now taking the girl in a ship to )hr se, and sending gifts of sacrifice to the god( but the heralds have just taken from m tent the daughter of :riseus, whom the Achaeans had awarded to m self! -$elp our brave son, therefore, if ou are able! 7o to Ol mpus, and if ou have ever done him service in word or deed, implore the aid of Jove! Ofttimes in m father,s house have & heard ou glor in that ou alone of the immortals saved the son of Saturn from ruin, when the others, with Juno, *eptune, and "allas #inerva would have put him in bonds! &t was ou, goddess, who delivered him b calling to Ol mpus the hundred0 handed monster whom gods call :riareus, but men Aegaeon, for he is

stronger even than his father( when therefore he took his seat all0glorious beside the son of Saturn, the other gods were afraid, and did not bind him! 7o, then, to him, remind him of all this, clasp his knees, and bid him give succour to the Trojans! 'et the Achaeans be hemmed in at the sterns of their ships, and perish on the sea0shore, that the ma reap what jo the ma of their king, and that Agamemnon ma rue his blindness in offering insult to the foremost of the Achaeans!Thetis wept and answered, -# son, woe is me that & should have borne or suckled ou! 5ould indeed that ou had lived our span free from all sorrow at our ships, for it is all too brief( alas, that ou should be at once short of life and long of sorrow above our peers+ woe, therefore, was the hour in which & bore ou( nevertheless & will go to the snow heights of Ol mpus, and tell this tale to Jove, if he will hear our pra er+ meanwhile sta where ou are with our ships, nurse our anger against the Achaeans, and hold aloof from fight! 2or Jove went esterda to Oceanus, to a feast among the <thiopians, and the other gods went with him! $e will return to Ol mpus twelve da s hence( & will then go to his mansion paved with bron6e and will beseech him( nor do & doubt that & shall be able to persuade him!On this she left him, still furious at the loss of her that had been taken from him! #eanwhile 9l sses reached )hr se with the hecatomb! 5hen the had come inside the harbour the furled the sails and laid them in the ship,s hold( the slackened the foresta s, lowered the mast into its place, and rowed the ship to the place where the would have her lie( there the cast out their mooring0stones and made fast the hawsers! The then got out upon the sea0shore and landed the hecatomb for Apollo( )hr seis also left the ship, and 9l sses led her to the altar to deliver her into the hands of her father! -)hr ses,- said he, -/ing Agamemnon has sent me to bring ou back our child, and to offer sacrifice to Apollo on behalf of the 1anaans, that we ma propitiate the god, who has now brought sorrow upon the Argives!So sa ing he gave the girl over to her father, who received her gladl , and the ranged the hol hecatomb all orderl round the altar of the god! The washed their hands and took up the barle 0meal to sprinkle over the victims, while )hr ses lifted up his hands and pra ed aloud on their behalf! -$ear me,- he cried, -O god of the silver bow, that protectest )hr se and hol )illa, and rulest Tenedos with th might! <ven as thou didst hear me aforetime when & pra ed, and didst press hardl upon the Achaeans, so hear me et again, and sta this fearful pestilence from the 1anaans!Thus did he pra , and Apollo heard his pra er! 5hen the had done pra ing and sprinkling the barle 0meal, the drew back the heads of the victims and killed and fla ed them! The cut out the thigh0bones, wrapped them round in two la ers of fat, set some pieces of raw meat on the top of

them, and then )hr ses laid them on the wood fire and poured wine over them, while the oung men stood near him with five0pronged spits in their hands! 5hen the thigh0bones were burned and the had tasted the inward meats, the cut the rest up small, put the pieces upon the spits, roasted them till the were done, and drew them off+ then, when the had finished their work and the feast was read , the ate it, and ever man had his full share, so that all were satisfied! As soon as the had had enough to eat and drink, pages filled the mi8ing0bowl with wine and water and handed it round, after giving ever man his drink0offering! Thus all da long the oung men worshipped the god with song, h mning him and chaunting the jo ous paean, and the god took pleasure in their voices( but when the sun went down, and it came on dark, the laid themselves down to sleep b the stern cables of the ship, and when the child of morning, ros 0fingered 1awn, appeared the again set sail for the host of the Achaeans! Apollo sent them a fair wind, so the raised their mast and hoisted their white sails aloft! As the sail bellied with the wind the ship flew through the deep blue water, and the foam hissed against her bows as she sped onward! 5hen the reached the wide0stretching host of the Achaeans, the drew the vessel ashore, high and dr upon the sands, set her strong props beneath her, and went their wa s to their own tents and ships! :ut Achilles abode at his ships and nursed his anger! $e went not to the honourable assembl , and sallied not forth to fight, but gnawed at his own heart, pining for battle and the war0cr ! *ow after twelve da s the immortal gods came back in a bod to Ol mpus, and Jove led the wa ! Thetis was not unmindful of the charge her son had laid upon her, so she rose from under the sea and went through great heaven with earl morning to Ol mpus, where she found the might son of Saturn sitting all alone upon its topmost ridges! She sat herself down before him, and with her left hand sei6ed his knees, while with her right she caught him under the chin, and besought him, sa ing+ -2ather Jove, if & ever did ou service in word or deed among the immortals, hear m pra er, and do honour to m son, whose life is to be cut short so earl ! /ing Agamemnon has dishonoured him b taking his pri6e and keeping her! $onour him then ourself, Ol mpian lord of counsel, and grant victor to the Trojans, till the Achaeans give m son his due and load him with riches in requital!Jove sat for a while silent, and without a word, but Thetis still kept firm hold of his knees, and besought him a second time! -&ncline our head,said she, -and promise me surel , or else den mefor ou have nothing to fearthat & ma learn how greatl ou disdain me!-

At this Jove was much troubled and answered, -& shall have trouble if ou set me quarrelling with Juno, for she will provoke me with her taunting speeches( even now she is alwa s railing at me before the other gods and accusing me of giving aid to the Trojans! 7o back now, lest she should find out! & will consider the matter, and will bring it about as ou wish! See, & incline m head that ou ma believe me! This is the most solemn promise that & can give to an god! & never recall m word, or deceive, or fail to do what & sa , when & have nodded m head!As he spoke the son of Saturn bowed his dark brows, and the ambrosial locks swa ed on his immortal head, till vast Ol mpus reeled! 5hen the pair had thus laid their plans, the partedJove to his house, while the goddess quitted the splendour of Ol mpus, and plunged into the depths of the sea! The gods rose from their seats, before the coming of their sire! *ot one of them dared to remain sitting, but all stood up as he came among them! There, then, he took his seat! :ut Juno, when she saw him, knew that he and the old merman,s daughter, silver0footed Thetis, had been hatching mischief, so she at once began to upbraid him! -Trickster,- she cried, -which of the gods have ou been taking into our counsels now% .ou are alwa s settling matters in secret behind m back, and have never et told me, if ou could help it, one word of our intentions!-Juno,- replied the sire of gods and men, - ou must not e8pect to be informed of all m counsels! .ou are m wife, but ou would find it hard to understand them! 5hen it is proper for ou to hear, there is no one, god or man, who will be told sooner, but when & mean to keep a matter to m self, ou must not pr nor ask questions!-1read son of Saturn,- answered Juno, -what are ou talking about% &% "r and ask questions% *ever! & let ou have our own wa in ever thing! Still, & have a strong misgiving that the old merman,s daughter Thetis has been talking ou over, for she was with ou and had hold of our knees this self0same morning! & believe, therefore, that ou have been promising her to give glor to Achilles, and to kill much people at the ships of the Achaeans!-5ife,- said Jove, -& can do nothing but ou suspect me and find it out! .ou will take nothing b it, for & shall onl dislike ou the more, and it will go harder with ou! 7ranted that it is as ou sa ( & mean to have it so( sit down and hold our tongue as & bid ou for if & once begin to la m hands about ou, though all heaven were on our side it would profit ou nothing!On this Juno was frightened, so she curbed her stubborn will and sat down in silence! :ut the heavenl beings were disquieted throughout the house of Jove, till the cunning workman =ulcan began to tr and pacif his

mother Juno! -&t will be intolerable,- said he, -if ou two fall to wrangling and setting heaven in an uproar about a pack of mortals! &f such ill counsels are to prevail, we shall have no pleasure at our banquet! 'et me then advise m motherand she must herself know that it will be better to make friends with m dear father Jove, lest he again scold her and disturb our feast! &f the Ol mpian Thunderer wants to hurl us all from our seats, he can do so, for he is far the strongest, so give him fair words, and he will then soon be in a good humour with us!As he spoke, he took a double cup of nectar, and placed it in his mother,s hand! -)heer up, m dear mother,- said he, -and make the best of it! & love ou dearl , and should be ver sorr to see ou get a thrashing( however grieved & might be, & could not help, for there is no standing against Jove! Once before when & was tr ing to help ou, he caught me b the foot and flung me from the heavenl threshold! All da long from morn till eve, was & falling, till at sunset & came to ground in the island of 'emnos, and there & la , with ver little life left in me, till the Sintians came and tended me!Juno smiled at this, and as she smiled she took the cup from her son,s hands! Then =ulcan drew sweet nectar from the mi8ing0bowl, and served it round among the gods, going from left to right( and the blessed gods laughed out a loud applause as the saw him bustling about the heavenl mansion! Thus through the livelong da to the going down of the sun the feasted, and ever one had his full share, so that all were satisfied! Apollo struck his l re, and the #uses lifted up their sweet voices, calling and answering one another! :ut when the sun,s glorious light had faded, the went home to bed, each in his own abode, which lame =ulcan with his consummate skill had fashioned for them! So Jove, the Ol mpian 'ord of Thunder, hied him to the bed in which he alwa s slept( and when he had got on to it he went to sleep, with Juno of the golden throne b his side!