And again, in the Hippolytus1 of Euripides, Venus says—
And all who dwell to th' eastward of the sea,And, therefore, in the case of a young man who had every other imaginable virtue, this one fault alone, that he did not honour Venus, was the cause of his destruction. And neither Diana, who loved him exceedingly, nor any other of the gods or demi-gods could defend him; and accordingly, in the words of the same poet,—
And the Atlantic waves, all who behold
The beams of the rising and the setting sun,
Know that I favour those who honour me,
And crush all those who boast themselves against me.
Whoe'er denies that Love's the only god,2And the wise Anacreon, who is in everybody's mouth, is always celebrating love. And, accordingly, the admirable Critias also speaks of him in the following manner:—
Is foolish, ignorant of all that's true,
And knows not him who is the greatest deity
Acknowledged by all nations.
Teos brought forth, a source of pride to Greece,
The sweet Anacreon, who with sweet notes twined
A wreath of tuneful song in woman's praise,
The choicest ornament of revelling feasts,
The most seductive charm; a match for flutes'
Or pipes' shrill aid, or softly moving lyre:
O Teian bard, your fame shall never die;
Age shall not touch it; while the willing slave
Mingles the wine and water in the bowl,
[p. 958] And fills the welcome goblet for the guests;
While female bands, with many twinkling feet,
Lead their glad nightly dance; while many drops,
Daughters of these glad cups; great Bacchus' juice,
Fall with good omen on the cottabus dish.
