Moreover, he not only compares human beings with gods, but likens the long hair of Euphorbus to the Graces, and that too when it was soaked with blood! In short, this sort of thing is so frequent that there is no part of his poetry which is not well adorned with comparisons of gods. Therefore you must either expunge all that, or permit us to be equally venturesome. So exempt from all accountability is the use of comparisons and similes that Homer actually did not hesitate to derive praise for the goddesses from things of lower degree. For instance, he likened Hera’s eyes to those of kine. And someone else called Aphrodite violet-browed.The “Theban poet” of the preceding piece (p.271); i.e. Pindar. As for “rosy-fingered,” who that has even the slightest acquaintance with Homer’s poetry does not know it?
As far as personal appearance is concerned, it signifies comparatively little if one is said to be like a god. But how many there are who have copied the very names of the gods, calling themselves Dionysius, Hephaestion, Zeno, Poseidonius, Hermes! And there was a Leto, the wife of Evagoras, king of Cyprus; yet the goddess did not take on about it, though she might have turned her into stone as she did Niobe. The Egyptians I forbear to mention, who, though the most superstitious people in the world, yet use the names of the gods to their hearts’ content; in fact, most of their names are derived from Heaven.
