Iliad by Homer - Join iZDOT

Homer’s Iliad
him to the house of Hades, to fetch the hell-hound from Erebus, he
would never have come back alive out of the deep waters of the
river Styx. And now Jove hates me, while he lets Thetis have her
way because she kissed his knees and took hold of his beard, when
she was begging him to do honour to Achilles. I shall know what to
do next time he begins calling me his grey-eyed darling. Get our
horses ready, while I go within the house of aegis-bearing Jove and
put on my armour; we shall then find out whether Priam’s son
Hector will be glad to meet us in the highways of battle, or whether
the Trojans will glut hounds and vultures with the fat of their flesh
as they he dead by the ships of the Achaeans.”
Thus did she speak and white-armed Juno, daughter of great
Saturn, obeyed her words; she set about harnessing her goldbedizened
steeds, while Minerva daughter of aegis-bearing Jove
flung her richly vesture, made with her own hands, on to the
threshold of her father, and donned the shirt of Jove, arming herself
for battle. Then she stepped into her flaming chariot, and grasped
the spear so stout and sturdy and strong with which she quells the
ranks of heroes who have displeased her. Juno lashed her horses,
and the gates of heaven bellowed as they flew open of their own
accord- gates over which the Hours preside, in whose hands are
heaven and Olympus, either to open the dense cloud that hides
them or to close it. Through these the goddesses drove their
obedient steeds.
But father Jove when he saw them from Ida was very angry, and
sent winged Iris with a message to them. “Go,” said he, “fleet Iris,
turn them back, and see that they do not come near me, for if we
come to fighting there will be mischief. This is what I say, and this
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