Book XV

BOOK XV

BUT when their flight had taken them past the trench and the set

stakes, and many had fallen by the hands of the Danaans, the

Trojans made a halt on reaching their chariots, routed and pale

with fear. Jove now woke on the crests of Ida, where he was lying

with golden-throned Juno by his side, and starting to his feet he

saw the Trojans and Achaeans, the one thrown into confusion, and

the others driving them pell-mell before them with King Neptune

in their midst. He saw Hector lying on the ground with his

comrades gathered round him, gasping for breath, wandering in

mind and vomiting blood, for it was not the feeblest of the

Achaeans who struck him.

The sire of gods and men had pity on him, and looked fiercely on

Juno. "I see, Juno," said he, "you mischief-making trickster,

that your cunning has stayed Hector from fighting and has caused

the rout of his host. I am in half a mind to thrash you, in which

case you will be the first to reap the fruits of your scurvy

knavery. Do you not remember how once upon a time I had you

hanged? I fastened two anvils on to your feet, and bound your

hands in a chain of gold which none might break, and you hung in

mid-air among the clouds. All the gods in Olympus were in a fury,

but they could not reach you to set you free; when I caught any

one of them I gripped him and hurled him from the heavenly

threshold till he came fainting down to earth; yet even this did

not relieve my mind from the incessant anxiety which I felt about

noble Hercules whom you and Boreas had spitefully conveyed beyond

the seas to Cos, after suborning the tempests; but I rescued him,

and notwithstanding all his mighty labours I brought him back

again to Argos. I would remind you of this that you may learn to

leave off being so deceitful, and discover how much you are

likely to gain by the embraces out of which you have come here to

trick me."

Juno trembled as he spoke, and said, "May heaven above and earth

below be my witnesses, with the waters of the river Styx--and

this is the most solemn oath that a blessed god can take--nay, I

swear also by your own almighty head and by our bridal bed--

things over which I could never possibly perjure myself--that

Neptune is not punishing Hector and the Trojans and helping the

Achaeans through any doing of mine; it is all of his own mere

motion because he was sorry to see the Achaeans hard pressed at

their ships: if I were advising him, I should tell him to do as

you bid him."

The sire of gods and men smiled and answered, "If you, Juno, were