her throne; but they, hastening, flew and arrived at Ida of many
rills, the mother of wild beasts. They found the far-seeing son of
Saturn sitting upon lofty Gargarus, and an odoriferous cloud encircled
him around. But coming before cloud-compelling Jove, they stood; nor was
he enraged in his mind, beholding them, because they quickly obeyed the
commands of his dear wife. And first to Iris he addressed winged words:

"Haste, begone, fleet Iris, tell all these things to king Neptune, nor
be thou a false messenger. Order him, having ceased from the battle and
the war, to repair to the assemblies of the gods, or to the vast sea.
If, however, he will not obey my words, but shall despise them, let him
then consider in his mind and soul, lest, however powerful he may be, he
may not be able to withstand me coming against him; for I say that I am
superior to him in strength, and elder in birth; but his heart fears
riot to assert himself equal to me, whom even the others dread."

Thus he spoke, nor was wind-footed, swift Iris disobedient: but she
descended from the Idaean mountains to sacred Ilium. And as when snow
drifts from the clouds, or cold hail, by the impulse of
cloud-dispelling[486] Boreas, so quickly swift Iris with eagerness flew
along, and standing near illustrious Neptune, she addressed him:

"O azure-haired Earth-shaker, I have come hither, bringing a certain
message to thee from aegis-bearing Jove. He has commanded thee, having
ceased from the battle and the war, to repair either to the assemblies
of the gods or to the vast sea. But if thou wilt not obey his words, but
shalt despise them, he threatens that he will come hither himself to
fight against thee; and advises thee to avoid his hands, because he
asserts that he is greatly superior to thee in strength, and elder in
birth: but thy heart does not fear to profess that thou art equal to
him, whom even the others dread."

But her illustrious Neptune, greatly indignant, then addressed: "Gods!
powerful though he be, he surely has spoken proudly, if he will by force
restrain me unwilling, who am of equal honour. For we are three brothers
[descended] from Saturn, whom Rhea brought forth: Jupiter and I, and
Pluto, governing the infernal regions, the third; all things were
divided into three parts, and each was allotted his dignity.[487] I in
the first place, the lots being shaken, was allotted to inhabit for ever
the hoary sea, and Pluto next obtained the pitchy d