ortals,
and mortal men; for I go to visit the limits of the fertile earth, and
Oceanus, the parent of the gods, and mother Tethys; who, receiving me
from Rhea, nurtured and educated me with care in their abodes, when
far-resounding Jove cast down Saturn beneath the earth and the fruitless
sea. These I go to visit, and I will put an end to eternal
quarrels.[467] For already have they abstained for a length of time from
the couch and embrace of each other, since anger fell upon their mind.
But if, by persuading their hearts by my words, I should lead them back
to the bed, to be united in love, then should I always be called by them
beloved and revered."

[Footnote 467: These passages were regarded by the ancients as
referring to the perpetual strife of the elements. Thus Plato,
in Theaetet. says: [Greek: Omeros eipon, Okeanon te theon genesin, kai
metera Tethun, panta eireken ekgona poes te kai kineseos]. See
Sextus Empir. adv. Grammat. i. 13, p. 280, ed. Fabr.; Stobaeus,
Ecl. i. 11. Grote, vol. i. p. 16, note, observes that, "Oceanus
and Tethys seem to be presented in the Iliad as the primitive
father and mother of the gods," although he says that "Uranos and
Gaea, like Oceanus, Tethys, and Nyx, are with Homer great and
venerable gods, but neither the one nor the other present the
character of predecessors of Kronos and Zeus."]

But her laughter-loving Venus in turn addressed: "It is not possible nor
becoming to refuse thy request, for thou reclinest in the arms of
mightiest Jove."

She said, and loosed from her bosom the embroidered, variegated
cestus;[468] where all allurements were enclosed. In it were love, and
desire, converse, seductive speech, which steals away the mind even of
the very prudent. This then she placed in her hands, spoke, and
addressed her:

"Take[469] this, now place in thy bosom this variegated belt, in which
all things are contained; and I think that thou wilt not return with thy
object unaccomplished, whatsoever thou desirest in thy mind."

[Footnote 468: I have avoided translating "cestus," as it is very
doubtful what is meant by it. It could not have been an ordinary
girdle, since it was to be hidden in the bosom (ver. 219), and
since its power appears to have been secret. See Heyne's note.]

[Footnote 469: [Greek: Te] is an old imperative from a root
TA--"formed like [Greek: zen], according to Doric analogy.... In
all cases it stan