is father Kronos. In his hand
he held the thunderbolts; the lightning slumbered at his feet, and
around him all the gods trembled for the greatness of his power. For
he laid hard tasks on all, and spoke hard words, and he thought to
rule harshly over the gods who dwell on the earth and in the broad
sea. All the day long Hermes toiled on weary errands to do his will;
for Zeus sought to crush all alike, and remembered not the time when
he, too, was weak and powerless.

[Illustration: DIANA (_or Artemis_).]

Then were there secret whisperings, as the gods of earth and sea took
counsel together; and Poseidon, the lord of the dark waters, spoke in
fierce anger, and said, "Hearken to me, Here and Athene, and let us
rise up against Zeus, and teach him that he has not power over all.
See how he bears himself in his new majesty--how he thinks not of the
aid which we gave him in the war with his father Kronos--how he has
smitten down even the mightiest of his friends. For Prometheus, who
gave fire to mortal men and saved them from biting cold and gnawing
hunger, lies chained on the crags of Caucasus; and if he shrink not to
bind the Titan, see that he smite not thee also in his wrath, O lady
Here." And Athene said, "The wisdom of Zeus is departed from him, and
all his deeds are done now in craft and falsehood; let us bind him
fast, lest all the heaven and earth be filled with strife and war." So
they vowed a vow that they would no more bear the tyranny of Zeus; and
Hephaistos forged strong chains at their bidding to cast around him
when sleep lay heavy on his eyelids.

But Thetis heard the words of Poseidon and Athene, as she sat beneath
the waters in her coral cave, and she rose up like a white mist from
the sea, and knelt before the throne of Zeus. Then she clasped her
arms round his knees, and said, "O Zeus, the gods tremble at thy
might, but they love not thy hard words, and they say that thy wisdom
hath departed from thee, and that thou doest all things in craft and
falsehood. Hearken to me, O Zeus, for Hephaistos hath forged the chain
and the lady Here, and Poseidon, the lord of the sea, and the pure
Athene have vowed a vow to bind thee fast when sleep lies heavy on
thine eyes. Let me therefore go, that I may bring Briareos to aid thee
with his hundred hands, and when he sits by thy side, then shalt thou
need no more to fear the wrath of Here and Poseidon. And when the
peril is past, then, O Zeus, remember that thou