for her fair wool when she dwelt in Lakedaimon, whom too she greatly
loved. Even in her likeness fair Aphrodite spake: "Come hither;
Alexandros summoneth thee to go homeward. There is he in his chamber and
inlaid bed, radiant in beauty and vesture; nor wouldst thou deem him to
be come from fighting his foe, but rather to be faring to the dance, or
from the dance to be just resting and set down."

So said she, and stirred Helen's soul within her breast; and when now
she marked the fair neck and lovely breast and sparkling eyes of the
goddess, she marvelled straightway and spake a word and called upon her
name: "Strange queen, why art thou desirous now to beguile me? Verily
thou wilt lead me further on to some one of the people cities of Phrygia
or lovely Maionia, if there too thou hast perchance some other darling
among mortal men, because even now Menelaos hath conquered goodly
Alexandros, and will lead me, accursed me, to his home. Therefore thou
comest hither with guileful intent. Go and sit thou by his side and
depart from the way of the gods; neither let thy feet ever bear thee
back to Olympus, but still be vexed for his sake and guard him till he
make thee his wife or perchance his slave. But thither will I not go--
that were a sinful thing--to array the bed of him; all the women of Troy
will blame me thereafter; and I have griefs untold within my soul."

Then in wrath bright Aphrodite spake to her: "Provoke me not, rash
woman, lest in mine anger I desert thee, and hate thee even as now I
love thee beyond measure, and lest I devise grievous enmities between
both, even betwixt Trojans and Achaians, and so thou perish in evil
wise."

So said she, and Helen sprung of Zeus was afraid, and went wrapped in
her bright radiant vesture, silently, and the Trojan women marked her