beneath the golden clouds on lofty Olympus, through the devices of white-armed Juno, who kept her back[1] through envy, because fair-haired Latona was then about to bring forth a blameless and mighty son. But they sent Iris from the well-built island, to bring Ilithyia, promising [to her as a gift] a mighty necklace woven with golden threads, nine cubits [in length]. But they ordered [Iris] to call her apart from white-armed Juno, lest she should then by words divert her from going. But when Iris, with feet swift as the wind, heard this, she set out to run, and swiftly passed through all the midst. But when she reached the dwelling of the gods, lofty Olympus, straightway having called Ilithyia out of doors from the house, she addressed [to her] winged words, in all exactly as the possessors of the Olympian dwellings had enjoined. And she persuaded her mind within her breast, and they both set out, like in step to timid does. But when Ilithyia, who presides over labour, reached Delos, then indeed labour seized [Latona], and she was ready to bring forth. And she threw her arms around the palm,[2] and rested her knees on the soft meadow, and the earth smiled beneath. And he leaped forth into the light, and all the goddesses gave a shout.[3] There, O archer Phœbus, the goddesses washed thee[4]
- ↑ i. e. prevented her attending upon Latona.
- ↑ The reason of this is not badly explained by the Schol. on Apollon. Rh. i. 1131, ἔθος ἐστὶ ταῖς κυούσαις τῶν παρακειμένων λαμβάνεσθαι, καὶ ἀποκουφίζειν ἑαυτὰς τῶν ἀλγηδόνων· ὡς καὶ Λητὼ ἐλάβετο τοῦ φοίνικος. Reference is also made to the present passage in Theognis, 5, φοῖβε ἄναξ, ὅτε μέν σε θεὰ τέκε πότνια Λητὸ Φοίνικος ῥαδινῆς χερσὶν ἐφαψαμένη; and Callim. in Del. 208, Λύσατο δὲ ζώνην, ἀπὸ δ' ἐκλίθη ἔμπαλιν ὤμοις Φοίνικος ποτὶ πρέμνον, ἀμηχανίης ὑπὸ λυγρῆς Τειρομένη. The same tree is mentioned in Odyss. vi. 162, and was said to be in existence in the time of Pliny, Hist. Nat. xiv. 44.
- ↑ Job xxxviii. 7, "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy."
- ↑ "And thee, O archer Phœbus, with waves clear
Wash'd sweetly over, swaddled with sincere
And spotless swath-bands; and made them to flow
About thy breast, a mantle, white as snow;
Fine, and new made; and cast a veil of gold
Over thy forehead."Chapman.
ἐπέπυστο, κ. τ. λ. I cannot help thinking that ἧστο γὰρ ἐν μεγάροισι Διὸς νεφεληγετεράο is a clumsy addition by a sciolist who thought it necessary to state where Juno was. At all events vs. 99 renders it utterly redundant and pointless.
