Dialogi deorum

Prometheus Release me, Zeus; I have suffered enough.

Zeus Release you? you? Why, by rights your irons should be heavier, you should have the whole weight of Caucasus upon you, and instead of one, a dozen vultures, not just pecking at — your liver, but scratching out your eyes. You made these: abominable human creatures to vex us, you stole our fire, you invented women. I need not remind you how you overreached me about the meat-offerings; my portion, bones disguised in fat: yours, all the good.

Prometheus And have I not been punished enough—riveted to the Caucasus all these years, feeding your bird (on which all worst curses light!) with my liver?

Zeus "Tis not a tithe of your deserts,

Prometheus Consider, I do not ask you to release me for nothing. I offer you information which is invaluable.

Zeus Promethean wiles!

Prometheus Wiles? to what end? you can find the Caucasus another time; and there are chains to be had, if you catch me cheating.

Zeus Tell me first the nature of yout ‘invaluable’ offer.

Prometheus If I tell you your present errand right, will that convince you that I can prophesy too?

Zeus Of course it will.

Prometheus You are bound on a little visit to Thetis.

Zeus Right so far. And the sequel? I trust you now.

Prometheus Have no dealings with her, Zeus. As sure as Neteus’s daughter conceives by you, your child shall mete you the measure you meted to—

Zeus I shall lose my kingdom, you would say?

Prometheus Avert it, Fate! I say only, that union portends this issue.

Zeus Thetis, farewell! and for this Hephaestus shall set you free.

Eros You might let me off, Zeus! I suppose it was rather too bad of me; but there!—I am but a child; a wayward child.

Zeus A child, and born before Iapetus was ever thought of? You bad old man! Just because you have no beard, and no white hairs, are you going to pass yourself off for a child?

Eros Well, and what such mighty harm has the old man ever done you, that you should talk of chains?

Zeus Ask your own guilty conscience, what harm. The pranks you have played me! Satyr, bull, swan, eagle, shower of gold,—I have been everything in my time; and I have you to thank for it. You never by any chance make the women in love with me; no one is ever smitten with my charms, that I have noticed. No, there must be magic in it always; I must be kept well out of sight. They like the bull or the swan well enough: but once let them set eyes on me, and they are frightened out of their lives.

Eros Well, of course. They are but mortals; the sight of Zeus is too much for them.

Zeus Then why are Branchus and Hyacinth so fond of Apollo?

Eros Daphne ran away from him, anyhow; in spite of his beautiful hair and his smooth chin. Now, shall I tell you the way to win hearts? Keep that aegis of yours quiet, and leave the thunderbolt at home; make yourself as smart as you can; curl your hair and tie it up with a bit of ribbon, get a purple cloak, and gold-bespangled shoes, and march forth to the music of flute and drum;—and see if you don’t get a finer following than Dionysus, for all his Maenads.

Zeus Pooh! I'll win no hearts on such terms.

Eros Oh, in that case, don’t fall in love. Nothing could be simpler.

Zeus I dare say; but I like being in love, only I don’t like all this fuss. Now mind; if I let you off, it is on this understanding.

Zeus Hermes, you know Inachus’s beautiful daughter?

Hermes I do. Io, you mean?

Zeus Yes; she is not a girl now, but a heifer.

Hermes Magic at work! how did that come about?

Zeus Hera had a jealous fit, and transformed her. But that is not all; she has thought of a new punishment for the poor thing. She has put a cowherd in charge, who is all over eyes; this Argus, as he is called, pastures the heifer, and never goes to sleep.

Hermes Well, what am I to do?

Zeus Fly down to Nemea, where the pasture is, kill Argus, take Io across the sea to Egypt, and convert her into Isis. She shall be henceforth an Egyptian Goddess, flood the Nile, regulate the winds, and rescue mariners,