2–4
ZEUS Is that your view too, daughter? What do you say? You turn away and blush? Of course, it is the way of a maid like you to be bashful in such matters, but you nod assent anyhow. Go, then, and do not get angry at your judge, those of you who are defeated, and do not inflict any harm on the lad. It is not possible for all of you to be equally beautiful.
HERMES Let us make straight for Phrygia; I will lead the way, and you follow me without delaying. Be of good courage; I know Paris. He is young and handsome and in every way susceptible to love; just the sort to decide such questions. He would not judge amiss, not he.
APHRODITE What you say is all to the good and in my favour, that our judge is just. Is he unmarried, or does some woman live with him?
HERMES Not quite unmarried, Aphrodite.
APHRODITE What do you mean by that?
HERMES Apparently someone is living with him, a woman from Mount Ida, well enough, but countrified and terribly unsophisticated; however, he does not seem . to think much of her.The reference is to Oenone. But why do you ask? APHRODITE It was just a casual question.
5
ATHENA I say, you are betraying your trust in talking to her privately all this while.
HERMES It was nothing alarming, Athena, or against you and Hera; she asked me whether Paris is unmarried. ATHENA Why was she inquisitive about that?
HERMES I don’t know; she says, however, that she asked because it came into her head casually, and not because she had anything definite in view.
