The gods who sat beside the Thunderer Jove Admired the mighty labor of the Greeks; But Neptune, he who shakes the earth, began:—
“O Father Jove, henceforth will any one Of mortal men consult the immortal gods? Seest thou not how the long-haired Greeks have reared A wall before their navy, and have drawn A trench around it, yet have brought the gods No liberal hecatombs? Now will the fame Of this their work go forth wherever shines The light of day, and men will quite forget The wall which once we built with toiling hands— Phoebus Apollo and myself—around The city of renowned Laomedon.”
And cloud-compelling Jove in wrath replied:— “Earth-shaking power! What words are these? Some god Of meaner rank and feebler arm than thou Might haply dread the work the Greeks have planned. But as for thee, thy glory shall be known Wherever shines the day; and when at last The crested Greeks, departing in their ships, Shall seek their native coasts, do thou o’erthrow The wall they built, and sink it in the deep, And cover the great shore again with sand. Thus shall their bulwark vanish from the plain.”
So talked they with each other while the sun Was setting. But the Achaians now had brought Their labors to an end; they slew their steers Beside the tents and shared the evening meal, While many ships had come to land with store Of wine from Lemnos, which Euneüs sent— Euneüs whom Hypsipyle brought forth To Jason, shepherd of the people. These Brought wine, a thousand measures, as a gift To Agamemnon and his brother king, The sons of Atreus. But the long-haired Greeks Bought for themselves their wines; some gave their brass,