Homer, Iliad 14.323-328 [go here, for more on the seduction of Zeus]
“Cloud-gathering Zeus answered her
Hera, you can go there at some later time.
For now, let the two of us go to bed and turn to sex.
For never has lust for a goddess or woman
Ever overcome the force in my chest as it does now.
Not when I was lusting after the wife of Ixion
Who bore Peirithoos, a thinker equal to the gods,
Nor when I lusted after fine-ankled Danae Akrisios’ daughter,
Who gave birth to Perseus, the most outstanding of all men,
Nor when I went after the far-famed Phoenician girl,
Who gave me Minos and divine Rhadamanthys
Nor even when I was with Semele or Alkmene in Thebes.
The second one gave birth to my strong-willed son Herakles
And the first gave us Dionysus, that charm for mortals.
Not even when I lusted after the fine-haired lady Demeter
Nor again glorious Leto, or even you yourself!
Never have I longed the way I long for you now, as sweet desire overtakes me.”
Τὴν δ’ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη νεφεληγερέτα Ζεύς·
῞Ηρη κεῖσε μὲν ἔστι καὶ ὕστερον ὁρμηθῆναι,
νῶϊ δ’ ἄγ’ ἐν φιλότητι τραπείομεν εὐνηθέντε.
οὐ γάρ πώ ποτέ μ’ ὧδε θεᾶς ἔρος οὐδὲ γυναικὸς
θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσι περιπροχυθεὶς ἐδάμασσεν,
οὐδ’ ὁπότ’ ἠρασάμην ᾿Ιξιονίης ἀλόχοιο,
ἣ τέκε Πειρίθοον θεόφιν μήστωρ’ ἀτάλαντον·
οὐδ’ ὅτε περ Δανάης καλλισφύρου ᾿Ακρισιώνης,
ἣ τέκε Περσῆα πάντων ἀριδείκετον ἀνδρῶν·
οὐδ’ ὅτε Φοίνικος κούρης τηλεκλειτοῖο,
ἣ τέκε μοι Μίνων τε καὶ ἀντίθεον ῾Ραδάμανθυν·
οὐδ’ ὅτε περ Σεμέλης οὐδ’ ᾿Αλκμήνης ἐνὶ Θήβῃ,
ἥ ῥ’ ῾Ηρακλῆα κρατερόφρονα γείνατο παῖδα·
ἣ δὲ Διώνυσον Σεμέλη τέκε χάρμα βροτοῖσιν·
οὐδ’ ὅτε Δήμητρος καλλιπλοκάμοιο ἀνάσσης,
οὐδ’ ὁπότε Λητοῦς ἐρικυδέος, οὐδὲ σεῦ αὐτῆς,
ὡς σέο νῦν ἔραμαι καί με γλυκὺς ἵμερος αἱρεῖ.
