Page:The Odyssey of Homer, with the Hymns, Epigrams, and Battle of the Frogs and Mice (Buckley 1853).djvu/396

360 ing received from golden-throned, dreadful, and grievous Typhaon, a bane to mortals,† whom once Juno brought forth, enraged against father Jove, when indeed the son of Saturn begat glorious Minerva in the top of his head, and hallowed Juno was enraged, and she also spoke among the assembled immortals: "Hear me both all ye gods and all ye goddesses, how cloud-compelling Jove begins to insult me first, since he made me his wife, knowing prudent things. And now apart from me has he given birth to dark-eyed Minerva, who is conspicuous among all the blessed immortals. But my son Vulcan has been rendered lame amongst all the gods, being halt as to his feet, whom I myself hurled down, seizing him with my hands, and cast into the wide sea. But him Thetis, the silver-footed daughter of Nereus, received, and led to her own sisters, †Would that she might grant another favour to the blessed gods!† Wretch! crafty-planner! what else dost thou now devise? How daredst thou alone produce dark-eyed Minerva? I have not become a mother, and yet I have been called thy [wife] among the immortals, who possess the wide heaven. And now,† therefore, will I try some device, so that a son may be mine, who may excel among the immortal gods, neither dishonouring thy sacred couch, nor mine own. Nor will I go to the couch with thee, but being far away from thee, I will be among the immortal gods."

Thus speaking, she went far away from the gods, enraged as she was, and straightway large-eyed venerable Venus prayed, and with pressed-down hand she smote the earth, and said: "Hear now me, earth, and wide heaven above, and ye Titan gods, who dwelling beneath the earth †around