Only thus, forsooth, may she be insulted, even though she is far
from being ruffled by that, and though punishment instantly falls on him
who had the audacity to do so. I, however, insult no one. That is but a
notion of married men, and a slander; whereas, in reality, I respect her
more highly than does the man she is married to.
Originally there was but one sex, so the Greeks relate, and that was
man's. Splendidly endowed he was, so he did honor to the gods - so
splendidly endowed that the same happened to them as sometimes happens
to a poet who has expended all his energy on a poetic invention: they
grew jealous of man. Ay, what is worse, they feared that he would not
willingly bow under their yoke; they feared, though with small reason,
that he might cause their very heaven to totter. Thus they had raised up
a power they scarcely held themselves able to curb. Then there was
anxiety and alarm in the council of the gods. Much had they lavished in
their generosity on the creation of man; but all must be risked now, for
reason of bitter necessity; for all was at stake - so the gods believed
- and recalled he could not be, as a poet may recall his invention. And
by force he could not be subdued, or else the gods themselves could have
done so; but precisely of that they despaired. He would have to be
caught and subdued, then, by a power weaker than his own and yet
stronger - one strong enough to compel him. What a marvelous power this
would have to be! However, necessity teaches even the gods to sur
.
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