\b0 One day, flying low over Attica,\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 saw\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10815 Herse\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the most beautiful of the girls taking part in the \b \cf4 \ATXht11604 Panathenaea\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . The god followed the maid, who had smitten his heart, as far as her father's house. Here, he met Herse's sister Aglauros, who
had the impudence to ask him who he was and what he wanted. Hermes answered politely and clearly explained his intentions, but instead of being flattered by the honor paid to her sister, Aglauros was filled with envy and plotted to prevent their union.
Out of love of the fair Herse, the god tried gently to persuade her jealous sister, but finally, his patience exhausted, he raised the caduceus, the staff that he carried as herald of the gods, and brought down the door. Aglauros tried to get up but was
overcome by great weariness: all her members grew stiff until she turned into a stone statue.\par
