"And then," Minerva exclaims in yet another
place (VIII. 373), "I suppose he will be calling me his grey-eyed
darling again, presently."
Towards the end of the poem the gods have a set-to among themselves.
Minerva sends Mars sprawling, Venus comes to his assistance, but
Minerva knocks her down and leaves her. Neptune challenges Apollo,
but Apollo says it is not proper for a god to fight his own uncle,
and declines the contest. His sister Diana taunts him with
cowardice, so Juno grips her by the wrist and boxes her ears till
she writhes again. Latona, the mother of Apollo and Diana, then
challenges Mercury, but Mercury says that he is not going to fight
with any of Jove's wives, so if she chooses to say she has beaten
him she is welcome to do so. Then Latona picks up poor Diana's bow
and arrows that have fallen from her during her encounter with Juno,
and Diana meanwhile flies up to the knees of her father Jove,
sobbing and sighing till her ambrosial robe trembles all around her.
"Jove drew her towards him, and smiling pleasantly exclaimed, 'My
dear child, which of the heavenly beings has been wicked enough to
behave in this way to you, as though you had been doing something
naughty?'
"'Your wife, Juno,' answered Diana, 'has been ill-treating me; all
our quarrels always begin with her.
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