Thus did they converse, but lord
Apollo said to Hermes, "Messenger Hermes, giver of good things, you
would not care how strong the chains were, would you, if you could
sleep with Aphrodite?"
"King Apollo," answered Hermes,
"I only wish I might get the chance, though there were three times as
many chains - and you might look on, all of you, gods and goddesses,
but I would sleep with her if I could."
The immortal gods burst out
laughing as they heard him, but Poseidon took it all seriously, and
kept on imploring Hephaistos to set Ares free again. "Let him go," he
cried, "and I will undertake, as you require, that he shall pay you
all the damages that are held reasonable among the immortal
gods."
"Do not," replied Hephaistos,
"ask me to do this; a bad man's bond is bad security; what
remedy could I enforce against you if Ares should go away and leave
his debts behind him along with his chains?"
Homer. The Odyssey. Rendered into English prose for the use of those who cannot read the original. Samuel Butler. Based on public domain edition, revised by Timothy Power and Gregory Nagy. A. C. Fifield, London. 1900 (?).
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