“The king of gods was once afire with love
for Phrygian Ganymede and hit upon
a guise that, just this once, he thought might be
more suitable than being Jove himself:
a bird. But of all birds, he thought that one
alone was worthiest; the bird with force
enough to carry Jove’s own thunderbolts.
Latin [138–58]
Without delay Jove beat the air with his
deceiving wings, snatched up the Trojan boy.
And even now, despite the wrath of Juno,
he still fulfills his role: the page of Jove,
the boy prepares Jove’s nectar, fills his cups.