I. PROLOGUE i-ii 



In the Danaides^ of Aeschylus (525-456 b. c), Aphrodite is 

 represented as saying: 



The pure heaven longs to penetrate the soil, while at the same time 

 desire lays hold upon the earth to enjoy these nuptials. Accordingly 

 the rain, descending from the bridegroom heaven, impregnates the 

 earth, which then brings forth grain for the use of mortals, and food 

 for their flocks. The fruits of the trees, too, arrive at their perfec- 

 tion by means of this moist wedlock.^ And all these things are 

 brought to pass with my aid. 



Not unlike this is the fragment^ (890 Nauck) of Euripides 

 (480-406 B. c), associated with it by Athenseus (600 B) : 



The earth longs for rain when the dry soil, barren by reason of 

 drought, must needs have moisture. The holy heaven, in turn, when 

 laden with showers, longs, at the impulse of Aphrodite, to descend 

 into the earth. And when these two have been made one by love, 

 they bring forth and nourish for us everything by which men 

 everjTvhere live and thrive. 



As Munro, the editor of Lucretius, has said*: 



From the Vcdas to the Pervigilium Veneris, poets and philosophers 

 love to celebrate this union of Ether and Earth, Ether as the father 

 descending in showers into the lap of Mother Earth. The notion 



* Frag. 44 Sidgwick (otherwise 41 or 43) : 



ipq. fikv dyvbs ovpavbs TpQcrai x^6j'a, 

 epws 5^ yalav 'Ka/jL^dvei yd/MOV rvx^tv • 

 6lJ.Ppos 5' aTr' evvaTripo^ ovpavoO Trecrwv 

 fKvcre yaiav ■ t) 5k TiKTeTai pporoU 

 fj.TrjXwv re jSoffKas Kal ^iov Arifi-qTpLov • 

 d4vdpo)v oTTwpa 5' €k vorl^ofTOi ydvovs 

 Ti\ei.6s i<TTi • tQvS'' iyoi Trapalrios. 



* Reading the traditional yd/xov for the emendation, ydvovs. 



^ ipa fiku ofx^pov yai'', brav ^rjpbv iridov 

 &KapTrov avxpi'V voridos fvdeios exv ' 

 epq. S' 6 <xeixvb% ovpapbs wXrjpovfxevoi 

 6fxl3pov trecreiv els yatav ' Acppodirrji iJiro • 

 Srav 5e (tvjj.ij.lxO^'^ov is raiirbv dvo, 

 (pvovffiv 7]fuv irdvTa Kai Tpicpovff'' d/J-a, 

 St' Siv Ppbreiov ^y re Kal ddWfi. yivos. 



* Note on i. 250. 



