And then inextinguishable laughter arose among the
immortal gods, when they saw Vulcan bustling about[69] through the
mansion.

[Footnote 64: See my note on Od. iii. p. 30, n. 13, ed. Bohn. It
was "a double cup with a common bottom in the middle."--Crusius.]

[Footnote 65: Hercules having sacked Troy, was, on his return,
driven to Cos by a storm raised by Juno, who was hostile to him,
and who had contrived to cast Jupiter into a sleep, that he might
not interrupt her purpose. Jupiter awaking, in resentment of the
artifice practised upon him, bound her feet to iron anvils, which
Vulcan attempting to loose, was cast headlong down to Lemnos by
his enraged sire.]

[Footnote 66: A race of robbers, of Tyrrhenian origin (according
to Mueller), and the ancient inhabitants of Lemnos. This island
was ever after sacred to Vulcan. Cf. Lactant. i. 15; Milton, P.L.
i. 740, sqq.]

[Footnote 67: See Arnold.]

[Footnote 68: This meaning of [Greek: endexia] is due to Buttmann.]

[Footnote 69: See Buttmann, Lexil. p. 481.]

Thus, then, they feasted[70] the entire day till the setting sun; nor
did the soul want anything of the equal feast, nor of the beautiful
harp, which Apollo held, nor of the Muses, who accompanied him,
responding in turn, with delicious voice.

[Footnote 70: "The gods formed a sort of political community of
their own, which had its hierarchy, its distribution of ranks and
duties, its contentions for power and occasional revolutions, its
public meetings in the agora of Olympus, and its multitudinous
banquets or festivals."--Grote, vol. i. p. 463. Cf. Mueller, Gk.
Lit. ii. Sec. 2.]

But when the splendid light of the sun was sunk, they retired to repose,
each one to his home, where renowned Vulcan, lame of both legs, with
cunning skill had built a house for each. But the Olympian thunderer
Jove went to his couch, where he lay before, when sweet sleep came upon
him. There, having ascended, he lay down to rest, and beside him
golden-throned Juno.

BOOK THE SECOND.

ARGUMENT.

Jove sends a dream to Agamemnon, in consequence of which he re-assembles
the army. Thersites is punished for his insolent speech, and the troops
are restrained from seeking a return homewards. The catalogue of the
ships and the forces of the confederates follows.

The rest, then, both gods and horse-arra