To Aphrodite

Sing to me, O Muse, of the works of golden Aphrodite,
the Cyprian, who stirs sweet longing in gods
and subdues the races of mortal men as well as
the birds that swoop from the sky and all the beasts
that are nurtured in their multitudes on both land and sea.
All have concern for the works of fair-wreathed Kythereia.
Three are the minds which she can neither sway nor deceive:
first is the daughter of aegis-bearing Zeus, gray-eyed Athena.
The works of Aphrodite the golden bring no pleasure to her,
but she finds joy in wars and in the work of Ares
and in the strife of battle and in tending to deeds of splendor.
She was first to teach the craftsmen of this earth
how to make carriages and chariots with complex designs of bronze.
And she taught splendid works to soft-skinned maidens
in their houses, placing skill in each one's mind.
Second is Artemis of the golden shafts,
whom smile-loving Aphrodite can never tame in love.
For she delights in the bow and in slaying mountain beasts,
in the lyre and the dance and in shrill cries
in shaded groves and in the city of just men.
Third is a revered maiden not charmed by the deeds of Aphrodite,
Hestia, whom Kronos of the crooked counsels begat first
and youngest too, by the will of aegis-bearing Zeus.
Poseidon and Apollon courted this mighty goddess
but she was unwilling and constantly refused.
She touched the head of aegis-bearing Zeus
and swore a great oath, which has been brought to pass,
that she, the illustrious goddess, would remain a virgin forever.
Instead of marriage Zeus the father gave her a fair prize, and she took the choicest boon and sat in the middle of the house.
In all the temples of the gods she has her share of honor
and for all mortals she is of all gods the most venerated.

Of these three Aphrodite can neither sway the mind, nor deceive them.
But none of the others, neither blessed god
nor mortal man, has escaped Aphrodite.
She even led astray the mind of Zeus who delights in thunder
and who is the greatest and has the highest honor.
Even his wise mind she tricks when she wills it
and easily mates him with mortal women,
making him forget Hera, his wife and sister,
by far the most beautiful among the deathless goddesses
and the most illustrious child to issue from crafty Kronos
and mother Rhea. And Zeus, knower of indestructible plans,
made her his modest and prudent wife.

But even in Aphrodite's soul Zeus placed sweet longing
to mate with a mortal man; his purpose was that even she
might not be kept away from a mortal's bed for long,
and that someday the smile-loving goddess might not
laugh sweetly and boast among all the gods
of how she had joined in love gods to mortal women,
who bore mortal sons to the deathless gods,
and of how she had paired goddesses with mortal men.
And so he placed in her heart sweet longing for Anchises
who, blessed with a god's handsome looks,
tended cattle on the towering mountains of lda, rich in springs.

When indeed smile-loving Aphrodite saw him,
she fell in love, and a powerful longing seized her heart.
She went to Cyprus and entered her sweet-smelling temple
at Paphos, where her precinct and balmy temple are.
There she entered and behind her closed the shining doors;
and there the Graces bathed her and anointed her
with ambrosian oil such as is rubbed on deathless gods,
divinely sweet, and made fragrant for her sake.
After she clothed her body with beautiful garments
and decked herself with gold, smile-loving Aphrodite
left fragrant Cyprus behind and rushed toward Troy;
moving swiftly on a path high up in the clouds.
And she reached Ida, rich in springs, mother of beasts,
and over the mountain she made straight for the stalls.
And along with her, fawning, dashed gray wolves
and lions with gleaming eyes and bears and swift leopards,
ever hungry for deer. And when she saw them, she was delighted
in her heart and placed longing in their breasts,
so that they lay together in pairs along the shady glens.

But she herself reached the well-built shelters
and found the hero Anchises, whose beauty was divine,
left alone and away from the others, by the stalls.
All the others followed the cattle on the grassy pastures,
but he was left alone by the stalls, and away from the others
he moved about and played a loud and clear lyre.
And Aphrodite, the daughter of Zeus, stood before him,
in size and form like an unwed maiden,
so that he might not see who she was and be afraid.
When Anchises saw her, he pondered and marveled
at her size and form, and at her glistening garments.
She was clothed in a robe more brilliant than gleaming fire
and wore spiral bracelets and shining earrings,
while round her tender neck there were beautiful necklaces,
lovely; golden, and of intricate design. Like the moon's
was the radiance round her soft breasts, a wonder to the eye.

Desire seized Anchises, and to her he uttered these words:
"Lady, welcome to this house, whoever of the blessed ones you are:
whether you are Artemis, or Leto, or golden Aphrodite,
or well-born Themis, or gray-eyed Athena.
You could be one of the Graces, who with all
the gods keep company and are called immortal,
also one of the nymphs who haunt these lovely woods,
or one of those who dwell on this imposing mountain
and in the springs of rivers and the grassy dells.
Upon a lofty peak, which can be seen from all around,
I shall make you an altar and offer you fair sacrifices
in all seasons. With kindly heart grant me
to be a great man among the Trojans,
to leave flourishing offspring behind me,
and to behold the light of the sun for a long time,
prospering among the people, and so reach the threshold of old age."

And then Aphrodite, the daughter of Zeus, answered him:
''Anchises, most glorious of all men born on earth,
I surely am no goddess; why do you liken me to the immortals?
A mortal am I, and born of a mortal woman.
Renowned Otreus is my father- have you perhaps heard his name? - who is lord over all of well-fortified Phrygia.
And I know well both my language and yours,
for a Trojan nurse reared me in my house;
she took me from my dear mother and devotedly
cared for me when I was little. It is for this reason
that I know your language too. But now Argeiphontes
of the golden wand carried me off
from the dance of Artemis of the golden shafts.
Many of us nymphs and maidens, worth many cows to their parents,
were playing, and endless was the crowd encircling us.
From there Argeiphontes of the golden wand
abducted me and carried me over many works of mortal men,
over much undivided and uninhabited land,
where beasts which eat raw flesh roam through the shady glens,
and I thought that my feet would never again touch the life-giving earth.

He said I should be called your wedded wife, Anchises,
and sharing your bed would bear you fine children.
But once mighty Argeiphontes had explained this to me,
he did go away among the tribes of the immortals;
and so I am before you because my need is compelling.
By Zeus I beseech you and by your noble parents,
for base ones could not bear offspring like you.
Take me untouched and innocent oflove
and show me to your father and wise mother
and to your brothers born of the same womb;
I shall be no unseemly daughter and sister.
Quickly send a messenger to the Phrygians, who have swift horses,
to bring word to my father and to my mother in her grief;
they will send you much gold and many woven garments,
all splendid rewards I ask you to accept.
Once these things are done, prepare the lovely marriage feast, which is honored by both men and immortal gods."

With these words the goddess placed sweet desire in his heart, so that love seized Anchises and he addressed her:
"If you are mortal and born of a mortal woman
and Otreus is your father, famous by name, as you say;
and if you are come here by the will of Hermes,
the immortal guide, you shall be called my wife forever.
And so neither god nor mortal man will restrain me
till I have mingled with you in love
right now; not even if far-shooting Apollon himself
should let grievous arrows fly from his silver bow.
O godlike woman, willingly would I go to the house of Hades
once I have climbed into your bed."

With these words he took her by the hand; and smile-loving Aphrodite,
turning her face away; with beautiful eyes downcast, went coyly
to the well-made bed, which was already laid
with soft coverings for its lord.
On it were skins of bears and deep-roaring lions,
which he himself had killed on the high mountains.
And when they climbed onto the well-wrought bed,
first Anchises took off the bright jewels from her body;
brooches, spiral bracelets, earrings, and necklaces,
and loosed her girdle, and her brilliant garments
he stripped off and laid upon a silver-studded seat.
Then by the will of the gods and destiny he, a mortal,
lay beside a goddess, without knowing this fact.
And at the hour shepherds turn their oxen and goodly sheep
back to the stalls from the flowering pastures,
she poured sweet sleep over Anchises
and clothed her body in her beautiful clothes.
When the noble goddess had clothed her body in beautiful clothes,
she stood by the couch; her head touched the well-made roof-beam
and her cheeks were radiant with divine beauty;
such as belongs to fair-wreathed Kythereia.

Then she roused him from sleep and addressed him thus:
"Arise, son of Dardanus! Why do you sleep so deeply?
Consider whether I look the same
as when you first saw me with your eyes."
So she spoke. And he obeyed her quickly and arose from sleep.
When he saw Aphrodite's neck and lovely eyes,
he was seized with fear and turned his gaze aside.
Then with his cloak he covered his handsome face
and spoke to her winged words in prayer:

"Goddess, as soon as I laid my eyes on you
I knew you were divine; but you did not tell the truth.
Yet by aegis-bearing Zeus I beseech you
not to let me live impotent among men,
but have mercy on me; for the man who lies
with immortal goddesses is not left unharmed."

Aphrodite the daughter of Zeus answered him:
"Anchises, most glorious of mortal men,
courage! Have little fear in your heart.
No need to be afraid that you may suffer harm from me
or from the other blessed ones; the gods do love you.
You shall have a dear son who will rule among the Trojans,
and to his offspring children shall always be born.
Aineias-the Awesome One-his name shall be, because I was seized
with awful grief for sharing the bed of a mortal.
But of all mortal men your race is always
closest to the gods in looks and stature.
Wise Zeus abducted fair-haired Ganymedes
for his beauty; to be among the immortals
and pour wine for the gods in the house of Zeus,
a marvel to look upon, honored by all the gods,
as from the golden bowl he draws red nectar.
Relentless grief seized the heart of Tros, nor did he know
where the divine whirlwind had carried off his dear son.
So thereafter he wept for him unceasingly;
and Zeus pitied him and gave him high-stepping horses,
such as carry the immortals, as reward for his son.
He gave them as a gift for him to have, and guiding
Argeiphontes at the behest of Zeus told him in detail
how his son would be immortal and ageless like the gods.
And when he heard Zeus's message,
he no longer wept but rejoiced in his heart
and was gladly carried by the galloping horses.
So, too, golden-throned Eos abducted Tithonos,
one of your own race, who resembled the immortals.