d 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
always to support me when we sit in council of the gods, Neptune, like
it or no, would soon come round to your and my way of thinking. If,
then, you are speaking the truth and mean what you say, go among the
rank and file of the gods, and tell Iris and Apollo lord of the bow,
that I want them--Iris, that she may go to the Achaean host and tell
Neptune to leave off fighting and go home, and Apollo, that he may send
Hector again into battle and give him fresh strength; he will thus
forget his present sufferings, and drive the Achaeans back in confusion
till they fall among the ships of Achilles son of Peleus. Achilles will
then send his comrade Patroclus into battle, and Hector will kill him
in front of Ilius after he has slain many warriors, and among them my
own noble son Sarpedon. Achilles will kill Hector to avenge Patroclus,
and from that time I will bring it about that the Achaeans shall
persistently drive the Trojans back till they fulfil the counsels of
Minerva and take Ilius. But I will not stay my anger, nor permit any
god to help the Danaans till I have accomplished the desire of the son
of Peleus, according to the promise I made by bowing my head on the day
when Thetis touched my knees and besought me to give him honour."

Juno heeded his words and went from the heights of Ida to great
Olympus. Swift as the thought of one whose fancy carries him over vast
continents, and he says to himself, "Now I will be here, or there," and
he would have all manner of things--even so swiftly did Juno wing her
way till she came to high Olympus and went in among the gods who were
gathered in the house of Jove.