“Athene placed a thought within his mind;”

and again—­

    “But some one of th’ immortals changed my mind,
    And made me think of what the folk would say;”

and—­

    “Because he thought it, or because the god
    Commanded him to do so.”

Men despise the poet, as if, in order to carry out his absurd mythological scheme, he denied each man his liberty of will.  Now Homer does nothing of this kind, for whatever is reasonable and likely he ascribes to the exercise of our own powers, as we see in the common phrase—­

“But I reflected in my mighty soul;”

and—­

“Thus spoke he, but the son of Peleus raged,
Divided was his soul within his breast;”

and again—­

                 “But she persuaded not
    The wise Bellerophon, of noble mind.”

But in strange and unlikely actions, where the actors must have been under the influence of some supernatural impulse, he does speak of the god not as destroying, but as directing the human will; nor does the god directly produce any decision, but suggests ideas which influence that decision.  Thus the act is not an involuntary one, but opportunity is given for a voluntary act, with confidence and good hope superadded.  For either we must admit that the gods have no dealings and influence at all with men, or else it must be in this way that they act when they assist and strengthen us, not of course by moving our hands and feet, but by filling our minds with thoughts and ideas which either encourage us to do what is right, or restrain us from what is wrong.

XXXIII.  At Rome at this time the women were praying in all the temples, especially in that of Jupiter in the Capitol, where the noblest ladies in Rome were assembled.  Among them was Valeria, the sister of the great Poplicola, who had done such great services to the State both in peace and war.  Poplicola died some time before, as has been related in his Life, but his sister was held in great honour and esteem in Rome, as her life did credit to her noble birth.  She now experienced one of the divine impulses of which I have spoken, and, inspired by Heaven to do what was best for her country, rose and called on the other ladies to accompany her to the house of Volumnia, the mother of Marcius.  On entering, and finding her sitting with her daughter-in-law, nursing the children of Marcius, Valeria placed her companions in a circle round them, and spoke as follows:  “Volumnia, and you, Virgilia, we have come to you, as women to women, without any decree of the Senate or instructions from a magistrate; but Heaven, it would appear, has heard our prayers, and has inspired us with the idea of coming hither to beg of you to save our countrymen, and to gain for yourselves greater glory than that of the Sabine women when they reconciled their husbands and their fathers.  Come with us to Marcius, join us in supplicating him for mercy,