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Chapter XII.—Jupiter’s Amours.
“‘And not to spend the time to no purpose in giving more examples, I shall begin with mentioning some embraces of Zeus himself, the father of gods and men. 1049 For it is impossible to mention all, on account of their multitude. Hear, therefore, the amours of this great Jupiter, which he concealed by changing his form, on account of the fanaticism of senseless men. For, in the first place, wishing to show to wise men that adultery is no sin, when he was going to marry, being, according to the multitude, knowingly an adulterer, in his first marriage, but not being so in reality, by means, as I said, of a seeming sin be accomplished a sinless marriage. 1050 For he married his own sister Hera, assuming the likeness of a cuckoo’s wing; and of her were born Hebe and Ilithyia. For he gave birth to Metis without copulation with any one, as did also Hera to Vulcan.
[Comp. Recognitions, x. 20–23, for a parallel to chaps. 12–15.—R.]
258:1050I have no doubt that this is the general meaning; but the text is hopelessly corrupt.