QUINTUS SMYRNÆUS.

[Footnote A: The Fates were the three sisters, Cloʹtho, Lachʹe-sis, and
Atʹro-pos, powerful goddesses who controlled the birth and life of
mankind, Clotho, the youngest, presided over the moment of birth, and
held a distaff in her hand; Lachesis spun out the thread of human
existence (all the events and action's of man's life); and Atropos, with
a pair of shears which she always carried, cut this thread at the moment
of death.]




II. THE JUDGMENT OF PARIS.


It was through a quarrel among the three goddesses, Juno, Venus, and
Minerva, that Œnone, the fair nymph of Mount Ida, met her sad fate, and
that the destruction of Troy was brought about. The strife arose on the
occasion of the marriage of Peʹleus and Theʹtis. Peleus was a king of
Thesʹsa-ly, in Greece, and one of the great heroes of those days. Thetis
was a daughter of the sea god Neʹre-us, who had fifty daughters, all
beautiful sea nymphs, called "Ne-reʹi-des," from the name of their
father. Their duty was to attend upon the greater sea gods, and
especially to obey the orders of Neptune.

Thetis was so beautiful that Jupiter himself wished to marry her, but
the Fates told him she was destined to have a son who would be greater
than his father. The king of heaven having no desire that a son of his
should be greater than himself, gave up the idea of wedding the fair