Odyssey 8.359 · Book 8, lines 359–360
The bond is loosed
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ὣς εἰπὼν δεσμὸν ἀνίει μένος Ἡφαίστοιο. τὼ δʼ ἐπεὶ ἐκ δεσμοῖο λύθεν, κρατεροῦ περ ἐόντος,
So speaking, the might of Hephaestus loosed the bond. And when the two were freed from the bond, strong though it was,
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Hephaestus has agreed to Poseidon's guarantee. He now releases the two trapped gods.
A note on this passage
The action is quick. So saying, mighty Hephaestus loosed the bond, and the moment the two were freed from the chain — strong as it was — they were up and gone. The comic song is nearly over.
The last detail leans on the chain itself: even as it falls away, the poet calls it strong. The admiration is for the craftsmanship, not the lovers; the true marvel of Demodocus's song has been the net, the impossible fine-spun mesh that held two gods. Released, it is praised one more time, and the smith's art has the last word before Ares and Aphrodite scatter to their far countries.
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