fell from her body, her horns shrank up, her eyes grew narrower, her mouth shorter; hands and fingers came instead of hoofs to her forefeet in fine there was nothing left of the heifer, except her beauty. At first she was afraid to speak, for fear she should low, but gradually she recovered her confidence and was restored to her father sters eme Zeus, disguised as a mortal, had a secret love affair with Semele, daughter of King Cadmus of Thebes. Juno, to gratify her resentment against Semele, contrived plan for her destruction. Assuming the form of Beroe, Semele's aged nurse, she insinuated doubts whether it was indeed zeus himself who came as a lover Heaving a sigh, she said,"I hope it will turn out so, but I can't help being afraid People are not al ways what they pretend to be. If he is indeed Zeus, make him give some proof of it. Ask him to come arrayed in all his splendors, such as he wears in heaven. That will put the matter beyond a doubt. Semele was persuaded to try the experiment. She asked a favor, without naming what it was. Jove gave his promise, and confirmed it with the irrevocable" oath, attesting the river Styx, terrible to the gods themselves. Then she made known her request. The god would have stopped her she spoke, but she was too quick for him. The words escaped, and d and he could neither unsay his promise nor her request. In deep distress" he left her and returned to the upper regions. There he clothed himself in his splendors, not putting on all his terrors as when he overthrew the giants, but what was known among the gods as his lesser panoply. Arrayed in this, he entered the chamber of Semele. Her mortal frame could not endure the splendors of the immortal radiance. She was consumed to ashes. But Hermes saved her six-month son; sewed him up inside Zeus's thigh, to mature there for three months longer; and in due course of time, delivered him. The child was called Dionysus(Bacchus)(twice-born, or the child of the double door Zeus Divine unions Human unions Mother Offspring Mother Offspring Demeter Alcmene Heracles DIone Antiope Amphion, Zethus eurynome Three graces Callisto Hera Ares,Eileithyia,Hebe, Hephaestus DanaePerseus L Apollo, Artemis Aeacus Mala mes ElectraDardanus,Harmonia, Lasion thena Europa Minos, Rhadamanthus, Sarpedon Mnemosyne Muses Epaphus Themis Horae(Season)Morai(Fates) LaodamiaSarpedone Leda Castor, Pollux, Clytemnestra, Helen Tantalus SemeleDionysus TaygeteLacedaemon10 fell from her body, her horns shrank up, her eyes grew narrower, her mouth shorter; hands and fingers came instead of hoofs to her forefeet; in fine there was nothing left of the heifer, except her beauty. At first she was afraid to speak, for fear she should low, but gradually she recovered her confidence, and was restored to her father and sisters24. Semele Zeus, disguised as a mortal, had a secret love affair with Semele, daughter of King Cadmus of Thebes. Juno, to gratify her resentment against Semele, contrived a plan for her destruction. Assuming25 the form of Beroe, Semele’s aged nurse, she insinuated26 doubts whether it was indeed Zeus himself who came as a lover. Heaving a sigh, she said, “I hope it will turn out so, but I can’t help being afraid. People are not always what they pretend to be. If he is indeed Zeus, make him give some proof of it. Ask him to come arrayed27 in all his splendors, such as he wears in heaven. That will put the matter beyond a doubt.” Semele was persuaded to try the experiment. She asked a favor, without naming what it was. Jove gave his promise, and confirmed it with the irrevocable28 oath, attesting the river Styx, terrible to the gods themselves. Then she made known her request. The god would have stopped her as she spoke, but she was too quick for him. The words escaped, and he could neither unsay his promise nor her request. In deep distress29 he left her and returned to the upper regions. There he clothed himself in his splendors, not putting on all his terrors, as when he overthrew the giants, but what was known among the gods as his lesser panoply30. Arrayed in this, he entered the chamber of Semele. Her mortal frame could not endure the splendors of the immortal radiance. She was consumed to ashes. But Hermes saved her six-month son; sewed him up inside Zeus’s thigh, to mature there for three months longer; and in due course of time31, delivered him. The child was called Dionysus (Bacchus) (“twice-born”, or “the child of the double door”). Zeus Divine Unions Human Unions Mother Offspring Mother Offspring Demeter Persephone Alcmene Heracles Dione Aphrodite Antiope Amphion, Zethus Eurynome Three Graces Callisto Arcas Hera Ares, Eileithyia, Hebe, Hephaestus Danae Perseus Leto Apollo, Artemis Aegina Aeacus Mala Hermes Electra Dardanus, Harmonia, Lasion Metis Athena Europa Minos, Rhadamanthus, Sarpedon Mnemosyne Muses Io Epaphus Themis Horae (Season) Morai (Fates) Laodamia Sarpedone Leda Castor, Pollux, Clytemnestra, Helen Niobe Argos, Pelasgus Pluto Tantalus Semele Dionysus Taygete Lacedaemon