Goddesses."

Then answered him Aphrodite, daughter of Zeus:

"Anchises, most renowned of mortal men, take courage, nor fear overmuch.
For no fear is there that thou shalt suffer scathe from me, nor from
others of the blessed Gods, for dear to the Gods art thou. And to thee
shall a dear son be born, and bear sway among the Trojans, and children's
children shall arise after him continually. Lo, AENEAS shall his name be
called, since dread sorrow held me when I came into the bed of a mortal
man. And of all mortal men these who spring from thy race are always
nearest to the immortal Gods in beauty and stature; witness how
wise-counselling Zeus carried away golden-haired Ganymedes, for his
beauty's sake, that he might abide with the Immortals and be the
cup-bearer of the Gods in the house of Zeus, a marvellous thing to
behold, a mortal honoured among all the Immortals, as he draws the red
nectar from the golden mixing-bowl. But grief incurable possessed the
heart of Tros, nor knew he whither the wild wind had blown his dear son
away, therefore day by day he lamented him continually till Zeus took
pity upon him, and gave him as a ransom of his son high-stepping horses
that bear the immortal Gods. These he gave him for a gift, and the
Guide, the Slayer of Argus, told all these things by the command of Zeus,
even how Ganymedes should be for ever exempt from old age and death, even
as are the Gods. Now when his father heard this message of Zeus he
rejoiced in his heart and lamented no longer, but was gladly charioted by
the wind-fleet horses.

"So too did Dawn of the Golden Throne carry off Tithonus, a man of your
lineage, one like unto the Immortals. Then went she to pray to Cronion,
who hath dark clouds for his tabernacle, that her lover might be immortal