Page 430 - the-iliad

Juno smiled as she listened. Meanwhile King Neptune
turned to Apollo saying, ‘Phoebus, why should we keep
each other at arm’s length? it is not well, now that the oth-
ers have begun fighting; it will be disgraceful to us if we
return to Jove’s bronze-floored mansion on Olympus with-
out having fought each other; therefore come on, you are
the younger of the two, and I ought not to attack you, for
I am older and have had more experience. Idiot, you have
no sense, and forget how we two alone of all the gods fared
hardly round about Ilius when we came from Jove’s house
and worked for Laomedon a whole year at a stated wage and
he gave us his orders. I built the Trojans the wall about their
city, so wide and fair that it might be impregnable, while
you, Phoebus, herded cattle for him in the dales of many
valleyed Ida. When, however, the glad hours brought round
the time of payment, mighty Laomedon robbed us of all our
hire and sent us off with nothing but abuse. He threatened
to bind us hand and foot and sell us over into some distant
island. He tried, moreover, to cut off the ears of both of us,
so we went away in a rage, furious about the payment he
had promised us, and yet withheld; in spite of all this, you
are now showing favour to his people, and will not join us
in compassing the utter ruin of the proud Trojans with their
wives and children.’
And King Apollo answered, ‘Lord of the earthquake, you
would have no respect for me if I were to fight you about
a pack of miserable mortals, who come out like leaves in
summer and eat the fruit of the field, and presently fall life-
less to the ground. Let us stay this fighting at once and let