Scarcely had he uttered the oath, than the gods, who could not absolve him from it, rallied him on his folly. […] Some mythologists speak of more than one. […] This was no less than an improper liason between Mars, God of War, and the charming Venus. […] Neptune, as god of the sea, was entitled to more power than any of the other deities, except Jupiter. […] When however his worship was introduced into Rome, he became more the God of Orchards and Gardens, than the patron of licentiousness.