. Swear me, O
Olympian, swear me a great oath, that he who shall this day fall
between the feet of a woman, shall be lord over all that dwell about
him who are of your blood and lineage.'

"Thus she spoke, and Jove suspected her not, but swore the great oath,
to his much ruing thereafter. For Juno darted down from the high summit
of Olympus, and went in haste to Achaean Argos where she knew that the
noble wife of Sthenelus son of Perseus then was. She being with child
and in her seventh month, Juno brought the child to birth though there
was a month still wanting, but she stayed the offspring of Alcmena, and
kept back the Ilithuiae. Then she went to tell Jove the son of Saturn,
and said, 'Father Jove, lord of the lightning--I have a word for your
ear. There is a fine child born this day, Eurystheus, son to Sthenelus
the son of Perseus; he is of your lineage; it is well, therefore, that
he should reign over the Argives.'

"On this Jove was stung to the very quick, and in his rage he caught
Folly by the hair, and swore a great oath that never should she again
invade starry heaven and Olympus, for she was the bane of all. Then he
whirled her round with a twist of his hand, and flung her down from
heaven so that she fell on to the fields of mortal men; and he was ever
angry with her when he saw his son groaning under the cruel labours
that Eurystheus laid upon him. Even so did I grieve when mighty Hector
was killing the Argives at their ships, and all the time I kept
thinking of Folly who had so baned me. I was blind, and Jove robbed me
of my reason; I will now make atonement, and will add much treasure by
way of amends. Go, therefore, into battle, you and your people with
you. I will give you all that Ulysses offered you yesterday in your
tents: or if it so please you, wait, though you would fain fight at
once, and my squires shall bring the gifts from my ship, that you may
see whether what I give you is enough."

And Achilles answered, "Son of Atreus, king of men Agamemnon, you can
give such gifts as you think proper, or you can withhold them: it is in
your own hands. Let us now set battle in array; it is not well to tarry
talking about trifles, for there is a deed which is as yet to do.
Achilles shall again be seen fighting among the foremost, and laying
low the ranks of the Trojans: bear this in mind each one of you when he
is fighting."

Then Ulysses said, "Achilles, godlike and brave, send not the Achaeans
thus a