Thus he indeed, raging, was insulting noble Hector, but the blessed gods, looking towards him, commiserated, and incited the watchful slayer of Argus to steal him away. Now, to all the rest it was certainly pleasing, but by no means so to Juno, to Neptune, nor to the azure-eyed maid; but they were obstinate,[774] for sacred Ilium was odious to them from the first, and Priam and his people, on account of the infatuation of Paris, who had insulted the goddesses, when they came to his cottage, and preferred her who gratified his destructive lust.[775] But when the twelfth morning from that had arisen, then indeed Phoebus Apollo spoke amongst the immortals:
[Footnote 774: After [Greek: echon] supply [Greek: ten diathesin] (with Schol.)="_kept their determination_."]
[Footnote 775: Payne Knight would reject vers. 23--30, considering the word [Greek: machlosynen] as un-Homeric. If they are genuine, they furnish the earliest mention of the judgment of Paris. Cf. Mollus on Longus, Past. iii. 27; Intpp. on Hygin. Fab. xcii.]