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Updated: May 17, 2025
As the masque went, Amphitryon had newly returned from warfare, and was singing under Alcmena's window in the terms of an aubade, a waking-song. "Rei glorios, verais lums e clardatz " Amphitryon had begun. Dame Melicent heard him through. And after many ages, as it seemed to Perion, the soft and brilliant and exquisite mouth was pricked to motion.
Thus all but Caesar yield; on his huge lance The hero leaning, did secure advance. Alcmena's son did less securely rush, From the proud height of rising Caucasus; Or Jove himself, when down the steep he prest Those sons of earth, that durst his heaven molest.
It was curious to note the candid mirth on either side. Mercury was making his adieux to Alcmena's waiting-woman in the middle of a jig. "But you," sneered Perion, "are merciful in all things. Rogue that I am, I dare to build on this notorious fact.
Perion came into the open plain before the castle and called on her dear name three times. Then Perion, naked to his enemies, and at the disposal of the first pagan archer that chose to shoot him down, sang cheerily the waking-song which Melicent had heard a mimic Amphitryon make in Dame Alcmena's honour, very long ago, when people laughed and Melicent was young and ignorant of misery.
Iolaus summons Alcmena and orders his arms; old though he is, he will fight his foe in spite of Alcmena's entreaties. In the battle he saw Hyllus and begged him to take him into his chariot. He prayed to Zeus and Hebe to restore his strength for one brief moment. Miraculously he was answered. Two stars lit upon the car, covering the yoke with a halo of light.
He had been accustomed to believe that the gods had lived upon earth, and taken upon themselves the forms of men; had shared in human passions, in human labours, and in human misfortunes. What was the travail of his own Alcmena's son, whose altars now smoked with the incense of countless cities, but a toil for the human race?
To match those hands not e'en the might Of Pollux' self had dared; Alcmena's son, that iron wight, Had shrunk See what Gods he equals him to, or rather what Gods he puts him above.
In the epic idyls, as in the Hymn to the Dioscuri, and in the two poems on Heracles, he was writing to please the taste of Alexandria. He was to add minute pictorial touches, as in the description of Alcmena's waking when the serpents attacked her child, a passage rich in domestic pathos and incident which contrast strongly with Pindar's bare narrative of the same events.
Then these twain crawled forth, writhing their ravenous bellies along the ground, and still from their eyes a baleful fire was shining as they came, and they spat out their deadly venom. But when with their flickering tongues they were drawing near the children, then Alcmena's dear babes wakened, by the will of Zeus that knows all things, and there was a bright light in the chamber.
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