ys rest upon him, because he lay
upon my knees and slept in my arms. But, as the years move round and
when he is in his prime, the sons of the Eleusinians shall ever wage war
and dread strife with one another continually. Lo! I am that Demeter
who has share of honour and is the greatest help and cause of joy to
the undying gods and mortal men. But now, let all the people build me
a great temple and an altar below it and beneath the city and its sheer
wall upon a rising hillock above Callichorus. And I myself will teach
my rites, that hereafter you may reverently perform them and so win the
favour of my heart.'

(ll. 275-281) When she had so said, the goddess changed her stature and
her looks, thrusting old age away from her: beauty spread round about
her and a lovely fragrance was wafted from her sweet-smelling robes,
and from the divine body of the goddess a light shone afar, while golden
tresses spread down over her shoulders, so that the strong house was
filled with brightness as with lightning. And so she went out from the
palace.

(ll. 281-291) And straightway Metaneira's knees were loosed and she
remained speechless for a long while and did not remember to take up her
late-born son from the ground. But his sisters heard his pitiful wailing
and sprang down from their well-spread beds: one of them took up the
child in her arms and laid him in her bosom, while another revived the
fire, and a third rushed with soft feet to bring their mother from
her fragrant chamber. And they gathered about the struggling child and
washed him, embracing him lovingly; but he was not comforted, because
nurses and handmaids much less skilful were holding him now.

(ll. 292-300) All night long they sought to appease the glorious
goddess, quaking with fear. But, as soon as dawn began to show, they
told powerful Celeus all things without fail, as the lovely-crowned
goddess Demeter charged them. So Celeus called the countless people to
an assembly and bade them make a goodly temple for rich-haired Demeter
and an altar upon the rising hillock. And they obeyed him right speedily
and harkened to his voice, doing as he commanded. As for the child, he
grew like an immortal being.

(ll. 301-320) Now when they had finished building and had drawn back
from their toil, they went every man to his house. But golden-haired
Demeter sat there apart from all the blessed gods and stayed, wasting
with yearning for her deep-bosomed daughter. Then she cau