must rule gently and
justly, for that power shall not stand which fights with truth and
love; and forget not those who aid thee, nor reward them as thou hast
rewarded Prometheus on the crags of Caucasus, for it may be that, in
time to come, I may ask a boon from thee for Achilleus, my child, who
dwells now in the house of his father, Peleus; and when that hour
shall come, then call to mind how in time past I saved thee from the
chains of Hephaistos."

Then Zeus spoke gently, and said, "Hasten, Thetis, and bring hither
the mighty Briareos, that he may guard me with his hundred hands, and
fear not for the words that thou hast spoken, for Zeus will not cast
aside good counsel, and the gods shall hate me no more for hard and
unkindly words."

So from the depths of the inmost earth Thetis summoned Briareos to the
aid of Zeus, and presently his giant form was seen in the hall of
Olympos; and the gods trembled as he sat down by the side of Zeus,
exulting in the greatness of his strength. And Zeus spoke, and said,
"Hearken to me, O lady Here, and Poseidon, and Athene. I know your
counsels, and how ye purposed to bind me for my evil deeds; but fear
not. Only do my bidding in time to come, and ye shall no more have
cause to say that Zeus is a hard and cruel master."

DIONYSOS.

In the dark land beneath the earth, where wander the ghosts of men,
lay Semele, the daughter of Kadmos, while her child Dionysos grew up
full of strength and beauty on the flowery plain of Orchomenos. But
the wrath of the lady Here still burned alike against the mother and
the child. No pity felt she for the helpless maiden whom the fiery
lightning of Zeus had slain; and so in the prison-house of Hades
Semele mourned for the love which she had lost, waiting till her child
should lead her forth to the banquet of the gods. But for him the
wiles of Here boded long toil and grievous peril. On the land and on
the sea strange things befel him; but from all dangers his own strong
arm and the love of Zeus, his father, rescued him. Thus throughout the
land men spake of his beauty and his strength, and said that he was
worthy to be the child of the maiden who had dared to look on the
majesty of Zeus. At length the days of his youth were ended, and a
great yearning filled his heart to wander through the earth and
behold the cities and the ways of men. So from Orchomenos Dionysos
journeyed to the sea-shore, and he stood on a jutting rock to gaze on
the tumblin