Zeus Are you joking, Poseidon, or have you
clean forgotten that we have nothing to do with
such matters, but that the Fates weave his death
for each man—for one by lightning, for another
by the sword, for a third by fever or consumption? Do you suppose that if this were under
my control I would have let those temple-robbers
go forth unstricken from Pisa the other day, when
they had cut off two locks of my hair weighing
six pounds each? Or would you yourself have
ignored the fisherman from Oreos who carried off
your trident at Geraistos? Above all, we should
seem to have lost self-control in our distress and
to be afraid of Damis's arguments, and therefore
to be getting rid of the man rather than to endure to confront him with Timokles. Should we
not in this way seem to be winning our case
merely by default ? Poseidon Now I thought I had hit on a short
cut to victory. Zeus Nonsense, Poseidon. Your argument is
worthy of one of your own tunny-fish, positively dense. Snatch away the opponent, forsooth, so that he may die unconquered and



 



leave his arguments behind without attack or
exposure! Poseidon Very well, think of something better
yourselves, if you dismiss my idea with a joke
about the tunnies. Apollo If it were permitted by law to a beardless youth like me to address the meeting, I could,
perhaps, make a useful contribution to the discussion. Momos In the first place, Apollo, the discussion has to do with such great questions that the
right of speech does not go by years, but is common to all. For it would be a nice thing if, when
we are in the extremest danger, we should quibble about a legal qualification. But, anyhow, you
are already decidedly eligible as a speaker in the
eye of the law, for you emerged long ago from
among the youths; you have been inscribed on
the rolls of the twelve, and you were almost a
member of the council in Kronos's day. So don't
try your youthful airs on us, but speak up boldly
and tell us your views. And do not let the fact
that you are a beardless orator embarrass you,
particularly when you have your son Asklepios
here with a beard to his waist. Moreover, it
would be peculiarly fitting for you to show your
wisdom now of all occasions, unless you have sat
philosophizing with the Muses on Helikon to no
purpose.


 Apollo It is not your business, however, Momos, to give these permissions, but Zeus's, and if
he bids me I might perhaps say something worthy
of the Muses and my exercises on Helikon. Zeus Speak, my child; I give you leave.