For Jupiter had said Boastfully to the immortals: ‘Hear, ye gods And goddesses, what I am moved to speak: This day shall Ilithyia, who presides At births, bring into light a prince whose rule The neighboring tribes shall own; he shall be one Who bears the blood of my illustrious race.’
“Imperial Juno thus, with words of guile, Made answer: ‘What thou sayest will prove false, Nor wilt thou keep thy word. Now swear to me, Olympius, with the irrevocable oath, That whosoever of thy race shall fall This day between a woman’s feet shall bear The rule o’er all the neighboring tribes.’ She spake, And Jove, perceiving not her craft, complied, And took the mighty oath, but afterward Found himself wronged. For Juno, darting forth, Shot from the Olympian summit, and at once Alighted at Achaian Argos. There She found the noble wife of Sthenelus, The son of Perseus, pregnant with a son, In the seventh month. She caused him to be born, The number of his months yet incomplete, And kept Alcmena’s hour of childbirth back, And stayed her pangs. The goddess then made haste To bear the tidings to Saturnian Jove.
“ ‘O Father Jupiter, by whom are hurled The ruddy lightnings, I have news for thee. A man-child of a generous stock is born— Eurystheus, whom the Argives shall obey— Born at this hour to Sthenelus, the son Of Perseus, who is thine. And well it is That such a prince should rule the Argive race.’
“She ended: Jupiter was deeply grieved, And, seizing Atè by her shining locks, In his great wrath, he swore a mighty oath— That Atè, whose delight it is to bring Mischief to all, should never tread again Olympus and the starry floor of heaven. Thus having sworn, he swung her, with raised arm, On high, and hurled her from the starry heaven Downward, where soon she reached the haunts of men; Yet oft in after time because of her He sighed, beholding his beloved son Doomed by Eurystheus to