THE RAPE OF HELEN 



armed bride,* own sister of Amphitrite * : Zeus from 

 Olympus and Poseidon from the sea. Out of the 

 land of Melisseus/ from fragrant Helicon, Apollo 

 came leading the clear- voiced choir of the Muses. 

 On either side, fluttering with golden locks, the 

 unshorn cluster of his hair was buffeted by the 

 west wind. And after him followed Hera, sister 

 of Zeus ; nor did the queen of harmony herself, even 

 Aphrodite, loiter in coming to the groves of the 

 Centaur.** Came also Persuasion,* having fashioned 

 a bridal wreath, canying the quiver of archer Eros. 

 And Athena put off her mighty helmet from her 

 brow and followed to the marriage, albeit of marriage 

 she was untaught. Nor did Leto's daughter Artemis, 

 sister of AjX)llo, disdain to come, goddess of the 

 wilds though she was. And iron Ares, even as, 

 helmetless nor lifting warlike spear, he comes into 

 the house o( Hephaestus, in such wise without breast- 

 plate and without whetted sword danced smilingly. 

 But Strife did Cheiron leave unhonoured : Cheiron 

 did not regard her and Peleus heeded her not. 



And as some heifer wanders from the pasture in 

 the glen and roams in the lonely brush, smitten by 

 the bloody gadfly, the goad of kine : so Strife/ over- 

 come by the pangs of angry jealousy, wandered in 

 search of a way to disturb the banquet of the gods. 

 And often would she leap up from her chair, set 

 with precious stones, and anon sit down again. She 

 smote with her hand the l)osom of the earth and 

 heeded not the rock. Fain would she unbar the 



' Cheiron, who had his cave on Pelion. 

 ' Peitho, an attendant goddess of Aphrodite ; ef. Paus. i. 

 a. 3, Hes. IF. 73. 



' Eris, daughter of Night (Hes. Th. ^aS.). 



2n 545 



