Muse, tell me the deeds of golden Aphrodite the Cyprian, who
stirs up sweet passion in the gods and subdues the tribes of mortal men
and birds that fly in air and all the many creatures that the dry
land rears, and all the sea: all these love the deeds of rich-crowned
Cytherea.
Yet there are three hearts that she cannot bend nor yet
ensnare. First is the daughter of Zeus who holds the aegis, bright-eyed
Athene; for she has no pleasure in the deeds of golden Aphrodite, but
delights in wars and in the work of Ares, in strifes and battles and
in preparing famous crafts. She first taught earthly craftsmen to make
chariots of war and cars variously wrought with bronze, and she, too,
teaches tender maidens in the house and puts knowledge of goodly arts
in each one's mind. Nor does laughter-loving Aphrodite ever tame in love
Artemis, the huntress with shafts of gold; for she loves archery and the
slaying of wild beasts in the mountains, the lyre also and dancing and
thrilling cries and shady woods and the cities of upright men. Nor
yet does the pure maiden Hestia love Aphrodite's works. She was the
first-born child of wily Cronos and youngest too, by will of
Zeus who holds the aegis,--a queenly maid whom both Poseidon and Apollo
sought to wed. But she was wholly unwilling, nay, stubbornly refused;
and touching the head of father Zeus who holds the aegis, she, that fair
goddess, sware a great oath which has in truth been fulfilled, that
she would be a maiden all her days. So Zeus the Father gave her an high
honour instead of marriage, and she has her place in the midst of the
house and has the richest portion. In all the temples of the gods she
has a share of honour, and among all mortal men she is chief of the
goddesses.
Of these three Aphrodite cannot bend or ensnare the hearts.
But of all others there is nothing among the blessed gods or among
mortal men that has escaped Aphrodite. Even the heart of Zeus, who
delights in thunder, is led astray by her; though he is greatest of all
and has the lot of highest majesty, she beguiles even his wise heart
whensoever she pleases, and mates him with mortal women, unknown to
Hera, his sister and his wife, the grandest far in beauty among the
deathless goddesses--most glorious is she whom wily Cronos with her
mother Rhea did beget: and Zeus, whose wisdom is everlasting, made her
his chaste and careful wife.
But upon Aphrodite herself Zeus cast sweet desire to be
joined in love with a mortal man, to the end that, very soon, not
even she should be innocent of a mortal's love; lest laughter-loving
Aphrodite should one day softly smile and say mockingly among all the
gods that she had joined the gods in love with mortal women who bare
sons of death to the deathless gods, and had mated the goddesses with
mortal men.
And so he put in her heart sweet desire for Anchises who
was tending cattle at that time among the steep hills of many-fountained
Ida, and in shape was like the immortal gods. Therefore, when
laughter-loving Aphrodite saw him, she loved him, and terribly desire
seized her in her heart. She went to Cyprus, to Paphos, where her
precinct is and fragrant altar, and passed into her sweet-smelling
temple. There she went in and put to the glittering doors, and there the
Graces bathed her with heavenly oil such as blooms upon the bodies of
the eternal gods--oil divinely sweet, which she had by her, filled with
fragrance. And laughter-loving Aphrodite put on all her rich clothes,
and when she had decked herself with gold, she left sweet-smelling
Cyprus and went in haste towards Troy, swiftly travelling high up among
the clouds. So she came to many-fountained Ida, the mother of wild
creatures and went straight to the homestead across the mountains. After
her came grey wolves, fawning on her, and grim-eyed lions, and bears,
and fleet leopards, ravenous for deer: and she was glad in heart to
see them, and put desire in their breasts, so that they all mated, two
together, about the shadowy coombes.
But she herself came to the neat-built shelters, and
him she found left quite alone in the homestead--the hero Anchises who
was comely as the gods. All the others were following the herds over the
grassy pastures, and he, left quite alone in the homestead, was roaming
hither and thither and playing thrillingly upon the lyre. And Aphrodite,
the daughter of Zeus stood before him, being like a pure maiden in
height and mien, that he should not be frightened when he took heed of
her with his eyes. Now when Anchises saw her, he marked her well and
wondered at her mien and height and shining garments. For she was clad
in a robe out-shining the brightness of fire, a splendid robe of gold,
enriched with all manner of needlework, which shimmered like the moon
over her tender breasts, a marvel to see.
Also she wore twisted brooches and shining earrings in the form of
flowers; and round her soft throat were lovely necklaces.
And Anchises was seized with love, and said to her: 'Hail,
lady, whoever of the blessed ones you are that are come to this house,
whether Artemis, or Leto, or golden Aphrodite, or high-born Themis, or
bright-eyed Athene. Or, maybe, you are one of the Graces come hither,
who bear the gods company and are called immortal, or else one of those
who inhabit this lovely mountain and the springs of rivers and grassy
meads. I will make you an altar upon a high peak in a far seen place,
and will sacrifice rich offerings to you at all seasons. And do you feel
kindly towards me and grant that I may become a man very eminent among
the Trojans, and give me strong offspring for the time to come. As for
my own self, let me live long and happily, seeing the light of the
sun, and come to the threshold of old age, a man prosperous among the
people.'
Thereupon Aphrodite the daughter of Zeus answered him:
'Anchises, most glorious of all men born on earth, know that I am no
goddess: why do you liken me to the deathless ones? Nay, I am but a
mortal, and a woman was the mother that bare me. Otreus of famous name
is my father, if so be you have heard of him, and he reigns over all
Phrygia rich in fortresses. But I know your speech well beside my own,
for a Trojan nurse brought me up at home: she took me from my dear
mother and reared me thenceforth when I was a little child. So comes
it, then, that I well know your tongue also. And now the Slayer of
Argus with the golden wand has caught me up from the dance of huntress
Artemis, her with the golden arrows. For there were many of us, nymphs
and marriageable maidens, playing together; and an innumerable
company encircled us: from these the Slayer of Argus with the golden
wand rapt me away. He carried me over many fields of mortal men and
over much land untilled and unpossessed, where savage wild-beasts
roam through shady coombes, until I thought never again to touch the
life-giving earth with my feet. And he said that I should be called the
wedded wife of Anchises, and should bear you goodly children. But when
he had told and advised me, he, the strong Slayer of Argos, went back
to the families of the deathless gods, while I am now come to you: for
unbending necessity is upon me. But I beseech you by Zeus and by your
noble parents--for no base folk could get such a son as you--take me
now, stainless and unproved in love, and show me to your father and
careful mother and to your brothers sprung from the same stock. I shall
be no ill-liking daughter for them, but a likely. Moreover, send a
messenger quickly to the swift-horsed Phrygians, to tell my father and
my sorrowing mother; and they will send you gold in plenty and woven
stuffs, many splendid gifts; take these as bride-piece. So do, and then
prepare the sweet marriage that is honourable in the eyes of men and
deathless gods.'
When she had so spoken, the goddess put sweet desire in
his heart. And Anchises was seized with love, so that he opened his
mouth and said:
'If you are a mortal and a woman was the mother who bare
you, and Otreus of famous name is your father as you say, and if you are
come here by the will of Hermes the immortal Guide, and are to be called
my wife always, then neither god nor mortal man shall here restrain
me till I have lain with you in love right now; no, not even if
far-shooting Apollo himself should launch grievous shafts from his
silver bow. Willingly would I go down into the house of Hades, O lady,
beautiful as the goddesses, once I had gone up to your bed.'
So speaking, he caught her by the hand. And
laughter-loving Aphrodite, with face turned away and lovely eyes
downcast, crept to the well-spread couch which was already laid
with soft coverings for the hero; and upon it lay skins of bears and
deep-roaring lions which he himself had slain in the high mountains. And
when they had gone up upon the well-fitted bed, first Anchises took
off her bright jewelry of pins and twisted brooches and earrings and
necklaces, and loosed her girdle and stripped off her bright garments
and laid them down upon a silver-studded seat. Then by the will of the
gods and destiny he lay with her, a mortal man with an immortal goddess,
not clearly knowing what he did.
But at the time when the herdsmen drive their oxen and
hardy sheep back to the fold from the flowery pastures, even then
Aphrodite poured soft sleep upon Anchises, but herself put on her rich
raiment. And when the bright goddess had fully clothed herself, she
stood by the couch, and her head reached to the well-hewn roof-tree;
from her cheeks shone unearthly beauty such as belongs to rich-crowned
Cytherea. Then she aroused him from sleep and opened her mouth and said:
'Up, son of Dardanus!--why sleep you so heavily?--and
consider whether I look as I did when first you saw me with your eyes.'
So she spake. And he awoke in a moment and obeyed her.
But when he saw the neck and lovely eyes of Aphrodite, he was afraid
and turned his eyes aside another way, hiding his comely face with his
cloak. Then he uttered winged words and entreated her:
'So soon as ever I saw you with my eyes, goddess, I knew
that you were divine; but you did not tell me truly. Yet by Zeus who
holds the aegis I beseech you, leave me not to lead a palsied life among
men, but have pity on me; for he who lies with a deathless goddess is no
hale man afterwards.'
Then Aphrodite the daughter of Zeus answered him:
'Anchises, most glorious of mortal men, take courage and be not too
fearful in your heart. You need fear no harm from me nor from the other
blessed ones, for you are dear to the gods: and you shall have a dear
son who shall reign among the Trojans, and children's children after
him, springing up continually. His name shall be Aeneas, because
I felt awful grief in that I laid me in the bed of mortal man: yet are
those of your race always the most like to gods of all mortal men in
beauty and in stature.
'Verily wise Zeus carried off golden-haired Ganymedes
because of his beauty, to be amongst the Deathless Ones and pour drink
for the gods in the house of Zeus--a wonder to see--honoured by all the
immortals as he draws the red nectar from the golden bowl. But grief
that could not be soothed filled the heart of Tros; for he knew not
whither the heaven-sent whirlwind had caught up his dear son, so that
he mourned him always, unceasingly, until Zeus pitied him and gave him
high-stepping horses such as carry the immortals as recompense for his
son. These he gave him as a gift. And at the command of Zeus, the Guide,
the slayer of Argus, told him all, and how his son would be deathless
and unageing, even as the gods. So when Tros heard these tidings from
Zeus, he no longer kept mourning but rejoiced in his heart and rode
joyfully with his storm-footed horses.
'So also golden-throned Eos rapt away Tithonus who was
of your race and like the deathless gods. And she went to ask the
dark-clouded Son of Cronos that he should be deathless and live
eternally; and Zeus bowed his head to her prayer and fulfilled her
desire. Too simply was queenly Eos: she thought not in her heart to ask
youth for him and to strip him of the slough of deadly age. So while
he enjoyed the sweet flower of life he lived rapturously with
golden-throned Eos, the early-born, by the streams of Ocean, at the ends
of the earth; but when the first grey hairs began to ripple from his
comely head and noble chin, queenly Eos kept away from his bed, though
she cherished him in her house and nourished him with food and ambrosia
and gave him rich clothing. But when loathsome old age pressed full upon
him, and he could not move nor lift his limbs, this seemed to her in her
heart the best counsel: she laid him in a room and put to the shining
doors. There he babbles endlessly, and no more has strength at all, such
as once he had in his supple limbs.
'I would not have you be deathless among the deathless
gods and live continually after such sort. Yet if you could live on such
as now you are in look and in form, and be called my husband, sorrow
would not then enfold my careful heart. But, as it is, harsh old
age will soon enshroud you--ruthless age which stands someday at the
side of every man, deadly, wearying, dreaded even by the gods.
'And now because of you I shall have great shame among
the deathless gods henceforth, continually. For until now they feared my
jibes and the wiles by which, or soon or late, I mated all the immortals
with mortal women, making them all subject to my will. But now my mouth
shall no more have this power among the gods; for very great has been my
madness, my miserable and dreadful madness, and I went astray out of
my mind who have gotten a child beneath my girdle, mating with a mortal
man. As for the child, as soon as he sees the light of the sun, the
deep-breasted mountain Nymphs who inhabit this great and holy mountain
shall bring him up. They rank neither with mortals nor with immortals:
long indeed do they live, eating heavenly food and treading the lovely
dance among the immortals, and with them the Sileni and the sharp-eyed
Slayer of Argus mate in the depths of pleasant caves; but at their birth
pines or high-topped oaks spring up with them upon the fruitful earth,
beautiful, flourishing trees, towering high upon the lofty mountains
(and men call them holy places of the immortals, and never mortal lops
them with the axe); but when the fate of death is near at hand, first
those lovely trees wither where they stand, and the bark shrivels away
about them, and the twigs fall down, and at last the life of the Nymph
and of the tree leave the light of the sun together. These Nymphs shall
keep my son with them and rear him, and as soon as he is come to lovely
boyhood, the goddesses will bring him here to you and show you your
child. But, that I may tell you all that I have in mind, I will come
here again towards the fifth year and bring you my son. So soon as ever
you have seen him--a scion to delight the eyes--you will rejoice in
beholding him; for he shall be most godlike: then bring him at once to
windy Ilion. And if any mortal man ask you who got your dear son beneath
her girdle, remember to tell him as I bid you: say he is the offspring
of one of the flower-like Nymphs who inhabit this forest-clad hill.
But if you tell all and foolishly boast that you lay with rich-crowned
Aphrodite, Zeus will smite you in his anger with a smoking thunderbolt.
Now I have told you all. Take heed: refrain and name me not, but have
regard to the anger of the gods.'
When the goddess had so spoken, she soared up to windy heaven.
Hail, goddess, queen of well-builded Cyprus! With you have
I begun; now I will turn me to another hymn.
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