38 Ernest Heinrich Klotsche' 



" Hail to the couch where the spousals divine 

 With the mortal were blended, 

 Where for love of the Lady of Perseus' line 

 Zeus' glory descended ! etc." 



It finds explicit expression in the characteristic passage in which 

 Amphitryon expostulates with Zeus on account of his seduction 

 of Alcmena, and his desertion of Hercules : 



H. F. 339-47 : 



(5 Zeu, ixa.T7)V ap' dfioyafxav a^ eKTTjcraijirjy, 

 lxa,T7)v 6e TraiSos yov'e kjJLOv cr' eKKyi^oixev 

 (TV 5' f|al^ ap fjaaov fj SoKCis eiuai 4>i\os. 

 aperfj ae vikco d^vqTos Cov t^eov p.kyav ' 

 TraZSas ya.p ov irpovdwKa roiis Hpa/cXeous. 

 (TV 5' els nev evvas Kpv(f>i,os fiiriaTO} noXelv, 

 rdXXoTpta XeKrpa dovros ovdevos XajSchp, 

 ccbfetf 5e tovs aovs ovk kirlcrTa'TaL (f)i\ovs. 

 afjiad^rjs tis el ■&ebs, el diKaios ovk e(j>v5. 



" Zeus, for my couch-mate gained I thee in vain, 

 Named thee in vain co-father of my son. 

 Less than thou seemedst art thou friend to us ! 

 Mortal, in worth thy godhead I outdo : 

 Hercules' sons have I abandoned not. 

 Cunning wast thou to steal unto my couch, — 

 To filch another's right none tendered thee, — 

 Yet know'st not how to save thy dear ones now ! 

 Thine is unwisdom, or injustice thine." 



In the following verses Amphitryon cries to Zeus : 



H. F. 497-502 : 



e7W 6e it', co ZeO, x^'P *s ovpavbv 8t,K<hv 

 avSco, TeKvoLffiv el ti toktLS^ <h(t>e\elv 

 fieXkeis, dfivveLv, k. t. X. 



" But I, O Zeus, with hand to heaven upcast. 

 Cry — if for these babes thou hast any help. 

 Save them ; for soon thou nothing shalt avail. 

 Yet oft hast thou been prayed : in vain I toil ; 

 For now, meseems, we cannot choose but die." 



For the same sentiment see also Ion 436 ft'. and Heracl. 718 ff. 

 and H. F. 212: "If Zeus to us were righteously inclined." 



Nor does Hera command our respect. The poet represents 

 her as solely responsible for the undeserved sufferings of the 

 great benefactor of humanity : 



92 



