THE THIRTY-FIRST PAPYRUS
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But King Zeys called together the areiopagos of the immortals.
And, when the twelve great gods were standing round, in their well-carved lofty war-chariots, the Latin gods crouched, miserable, whimpering, chained, in the midst before them. And it was openly manifest that they, presumptuous ones, overweening in arrogance, had the audacity to shape themselves (as far as they were able) after the manner of the divine ones who inhabit olympian palaces: as the barbarians, Egyptians, or Sikels, or Thrakians, or Bithynians, whom the Argives take for slaves, mimic the manners of their masters, clumsily counterfeiting their aspect. Yet, as the Argives are mortal and so are the barbarians, being alike in that respect but not in anything else, in the same way both the Olympian and the Latin gods were immortal, agreeing in no other similitude. But all the company of heaven marvelled exceedingly, and none knew the counsels of King Zeys.
But the Father and King of gods and men, whose joy is in the thunder, spoke, saying: “Hearken to me, O all gods and all ye blooming goddesses, hearing that which my mind within my breast commandeth me. And one thing let none assay, be it goddess or be it god, to thwart my opinion: but approve it, ye, unanimously, that I may quickly accomplish it. For ye know how far I am made the mightiest of all gods. Go to, now, ye gods, make trial that ye may know. Fasten ye a golden rope from heaven; and all ye gods lay hold thereof and all goddesses: yet could ye not drag me from heaven to earth, even Zeys, the counsellor of The Supreme, not though ye toiled sorely. But, an I were minded to drag it, then I should draw you up, with the blooming earth and the sea withal: by so much more am I beyond gods, and beyond men, and all the rest of it.”
Thus he spoke: but we all kept silence and were still, marvelling at his saying, for he spoke very masterfully. But, at last, the bright-eyed goddess Pallas Athene said: “O our father Zeys, well we know (even we) that thy might is unyielding. Yet we have piety for these thy prisoners, fools, who now shall perish and fulfil an evil fate.”
Then Zeys the Cloud-gatherer smiled at her, saying: “Be of good comfort, dear child: for I am not minded to be unkindly. But, hearken, O all gods and all ye goddesses; and see the justice of Zeys. For these cringing immortals (from what part of the heavens they come, I know not), having taken shapes similar to ours on some false pretences, audacious ones, have not been content with the worship of their Romans, but, bursting with arrogance, they have presumed to claim also the worship of the rolling-eyed Argives. Long, indeed, have I been patient with them, with fair words and deeds: but they have ventured to bring war to lofty Olympos. Witless that they are, to be wrath in their folly against Zeys, who (sitting all by himself) careth not, nor taketh any thought about them: for I deem that I, among immortal gods, am manifestly preeminent in power and might etcetera. Wherefore, let them content themselves with whatsoever sorrows I shall send on each one of them.”
But fierce impetuous Ares stood high in his war-chariot; whereto were yoked his horses Fear and Dread; and he slapped his strong thighs with his hands flatwise, saying: “O lord of the lightning and the dark cloud, smite them with the thunderbolts; and let them lie among the dead in dust and blood.”
But, when they heard this awful word, the Latin gods leaped up to touch the beard and the knees of Zeys, crying aloud in a panic-terror as they bobbed up and down, saying: “We supplicate thee by thy beard, and by thy knees, and by thy parents, to take good store of gold and korinthic bronze (which is platinum and better than gold) as a ransom, and to let us go in peace.”
But, unto them, the Father and King of gods and men, with grimmer gaze, responded, saying: “Dogs, dogs, supplicate me not by beard or knees or parents: for neither a tenfold nor a twentyfold ransom can make amends for rebellion. Nevertheless, seeing that ye be immortal, even as are also we others, white Death may not come anigh you. But let us hear much-contriving Odysseys, the Peer of Zeys in counsel: for perchance he hath some apt unwinged sentence of judgment in his wily mind.”
Then, indeed, I stood up before all the blooming company of heaven, in my silver-shining chariot inlaid with crabs and moons in mother-of-pearl, but Love was my charioteer; and thus I said: “Immortality to immortals, and nothings to nothingness.”
And all the gods and goddesses (bestowers of good things) stood in their own war-chariots; and inextinguishable laughter arose among the blessed gods, when they heard my wily words.
But great Zeys said: “It pleaseth us; and, so, of our own free will, we command that it shall be done.”
And, immediately, all the gods and goddesses of Olympos leaped upon all the blameless gods and goddesses of Rome, Zeys upon Juppiter, and Hera upon Juno, Helios Hyperion upon Sol, and Selene upon Luna, Phoibos Apollon upon Apollo, and Artemis upon Diana, Ares upon Mars, and Iakkhos Dionysos upon Bacchus, Eros upon Cupid, and Aphrodite upon Venus, Hermes upon Mercury, and Pallas Athene upon Minerva, Demeter upon Ceres, and Hephaistos upon Vulcan, Hades upon Pluto, and Persephone upon Proserpina, Kastor and Polydeykes upon Castor and Pollux, Herakles upon Hercules, and Poseidon upon Neptune, and innumerable others upon others innumerable, pouncing upon them, like falcons biting the bloody brains of baser birds, buzzards, and such, sucking out their immortality.
And the forms of the Latin gods, like flies in the webs of assiduous spiders, lifeless, and very void, fell back, dropping from heaven to earth; and the speed of their falling ground them to powder, so that they became as red dust, and a most awful portent for their Romans on whom they fell. For, by chance, at this same time, the Romans were perturbed by a political crisis, connected with that Gajus Julius Cæsar, a king of men and a shepherd of the people. For, when they saw fierce fiery warriors fighting on the clouds, in ranks and squadrons and right forms of war, which drizzled blood of heroes on the Capitol, and, when they heard the neighing of horses and the groans of ghosts of heroes, slain, shrieking, squealing, going to the land of shades, then, indeed, blind madness entered into them; and they slew their precious Cæsar. Thus, the heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.[64]
But the immortal gods, more amply immortal than ever (if that were possible), returned to their dear motherland bearing the spoils of victory; and the divine ones inhabiting olympian palaces began to receive the worship of the Romans, as was due.
In this manner, was there peace in the wide-rolling heavens.