As the thought of man
Flies rapidly, when, having traveled far,
He thinks, "Here would I be, I would be there,"
And flits from place to place, so swiftly flew
Imperial Juno to the Olympian mount.
Bryant, Iliad, Book XV.
There she informed Iris and Apollo of the will of Father Jove. Forthwith the two gods hastened to Mount Ida to receive their orders from Jupiter himself. The orders were quickly given. Then with the speed of the winds the messenger of heaven and the god of the silver bow darted down from Ida's top to the plain of Troy.
Neptune, on hearing of the command of Jupiter, was at first unwilling to obey. Jupiter, he said, had no authority over him.
"We are three brothers,
The sons of Saturn,—Jupiter and I,
And Pluto, regent of the realm below.
Three parts were made of all existing things,
And each of us received his heritage.
The lots were shaken; and to me it fell
To dwell forever in the hoary deep,
And Pluto took the gloomy realm of night,
And lastly, Jupiter the ample heaven
And air and clouds. Yet doth the earth remain,
With high Olympus, common to us all.
Therefore I yield me not to do his will,
Great as he is; and let him be content
With his third part."
Bryant, Iliad, Book XV.
But Iris advised Neptune to obey, reminding him that Jupiter had power of punishing those who offended him. At last Neptune yielded, and, quitting the Grecian army, took his way to the sea, and plunged beneath the waves to his palace in the ocean depths.
Meanwhile Apollo hastened to the side of the Trojan prince, who was still weak from the blow of Ajax. Quickly the god restored the hero's strength and breathed fresh courage into his breast. Then he commanded Hector to hasten forward and lead his warriors against the enemy. In an instant the Trojan prince was on his feet, hurrying to the front. When the Greek chiefs saw him they were astonished as well as terrified, for they had thought him dead, and now they believed he had been rescued from death by some god. They resolved, however, to fight bravely, and so they stood firmly together. Hector meanwhile advanced, Apollo moving before him with the shield of Jupiter, the terrible aegis, which Jupiter had given him to shake before the Greeks and fill their hearts with fear.
"Hector led
The van in rapid march. Before him walked
Phœbus, the terrible aggis in his hands,
Dazzlingly bright within its shaggy fringe,
By Vulcan forged, the great artificer,
And given to Jupiter, with which to rout
Armies of men. With this in hand he led
The assailants on."
Bryant, Iliad, Book XV.