When Morning in her saffron robe had cast her light across the earth,

Zeus, lover of lightning, called the gods in council

on the topmost crest of serrated Olympus.

Then he spoke and all the other gods gave ear.

“Hear me,” said he, “gods and goddesses too,

that I may speak as my heart urges.

Let none of you, neither goddess nor god,

try to cross my laws,

but obey me every one of you that I may quickly

bring this matter to an end.”

Homer, The Iliad,
CIRCA EIGHTH CENTURY BC