  The sun stood high in the heavens and the battle continued to rage with the greatest bitterness. Hector and Æneas, Agamemnon, Ulysses, and the other great heroes raged about the broad battlefield like beasts of prey. Diomedes was especially favored by Athena on this great day and laid many warriors in the dust. Among the Trojans, two sons of the rich and pious priest of Vulcan, Dares, spurred forward from the swarm of warriors against him. One of them cast his spear at the hero, but missed the mark, which but served to enrage the warrior. He grimly cast back at the youth and pierced him through the heart. His brother turned and fled and Diomedes quickly seized the handsome steeds and commanded his men to conduct them to the ships. One could not tell to which side Diomedes belonged, for he was always in the midst of the fight. He was at last espied by Pandarus, the same who had broken the oath by shooting at Menelaus. He approached Diomedes stealthily from behind and shot a sharp arrow into his right shoulder, so that blood stained his coat of mail. “Come, ye Trojans,” he cried, “I have wounded the most formidable of the Achaians.” But the arrow had not penetrated so deeply as he thought. Diomedes sought his charioteer Sthenelus. “Friend,” he said, “come quickly and pluck this arrow from my shoulder.” As it was withdrawn, blood spurted from the wound and the warrior prayed to Athena: “Hear me, goddess, and as thou hast ever been my protector in battle, oh aid me now and let me slay the man who hath wounded me and boasts that I shall not much longer see the light of day.” The goddess heard him and stanched the blood. “Thou canst return to the fight,” she said. “I have endowed thee with the strength and courage of thy father and will distinguish thee to-day above all other Achaians. Only take care not to oppose the immortal gods in battle, but attack all others courageously. If Jupiter’s daughter Aphrodite should enter the field, thou mayest wound her with thy sharp spear.” The goddess disappeared and Diomedes flew back to the foremost ranks with renewed ardor. Behind him came his followers, ready to strip his victims of their armor and to carry away the captured horses and chariots. Æneas called upon Pandarus and said: “Where are to-day thy bow and never-failing arrows? Here is a chance to distinguish thyself. See, there is a man who has slain many, and none of our warriors can prevail against him.” “That is Diomedes, son of Tydeus,” interrupted Pandarus; “he must be under the protection of a god. Already my arrow has wounded him so that blood spurted from the place, and in spite of this he is again in the field wielding his deadly lance. I dare not aim at him again, for it is unlucky to contend with the gods. Besides, I came on foot to Ilium and have no horses or chariot.” “Come, friend, take mine and learn what Trojan horses are. Here, take the whip and reins, while I remain on foot and watch the fight.” “Do thou guide the steeds thyself, Æneas, for they know thee; else might Diomedes take them captive and slay us too. I will meet him with the point of my sharp spear.” Together they mounted the handsome chariot and dashed toward Diomedes, who was driving across the field with Sthenelus. “Look!” cried Sthenelus. “There come two heroes making for us. Let me turn back, for they seem bold warriors, and thou art weary with long fighting and thy painful wound.” “Not so,” said Diomedes angrily. “It is not my custom thus to flee. I will await them here, and if one of them escape, the other shall be my prey. Do thou follow me, and if I should wound them both, seize thou the enemy’s steeds. I know them. They are magnificent horses of the famous breed which Jupiter once gave to King Thoas for his captured son Ganymede. Hasten, for the chariot is already upon us.” He swung himself to the ground and at the same moment Pandarus’ arrow struck his shield, and though it made him stagger, he shook the shield in Pandarus’ face and cried: “Do not triumph too soon, but rather take care that thou thyself escape death!” Æneas turned his steeds in terror, but he could not save his friend; Diomedes’ spear had struck him down. As Æneas descended to bear away the body, he too was sorely wounded. Sthenelus meanwhile led away the beautiful steeds and they were taken to Diomedes’ tents. Aphrodite now approached her fainting son and her merciful arms bore him off the field. “It must be a goddess who has rescued him,” said Diomedes to himself. “But it can be none other than Aphrodite, who appears so unwarlike. Good, I will overtake her and attain undying fame.” He hastened after the goddess, swung his spear, and wounded her in the wrist, so that her clear blood stained the earth. The goddess screamed and let the warrior slip from her arms, but he was again rescued by Phoebus Apollo, who covered him with a dark cloud. Diomedes still pursued the goddess with loud cries. “Retire, daughter of Jupiter, and leave the battlefield to men. It is bad enough that thou causest women to bring such misery upon the nations. Woe to thee shouldst thou come near me in the fight!” The goddess was terrified and fled as fast as she could. Iris came to meet her and conducted her to the edge of the battlefield, where Mars, the god of war, sat gloating over his work. A cloud surrounded him and concealed him from mortal eyes. “Dear brother,” said Aphrodite, “lend me thy horses that I may quickly reach Olympus. Look! A mortal has wounded me.” Iris took the reins and the horses flew swiftly away through the air. Meanwhile Diomedes was still on the field seeking Æneas, and not until he heard Apollo’s threatening voice, “Take heed, son of Tydeus, and give way, tremble and do not strive with the gods,” did he desist and remember Athena’s warning. Apollo carried Aphrodite’s son to his sacred temple on the heights of Pergamus. There he healed and strengthened him, and the hero soon reappeared among his followers, who were amazed at the miracle. He at once plunged into the fight and slew many brave youths among the Achaians. Apollo had meanwhile complained to Mars of the defeat of the Trojans and of Diomedes’ insolence in daring to attack the gods. The god of war, who inclined first to one side, then to the other, was persuaded to take part in the battle himself, and this time to support the Trojans. Concealed in a cloud, he strode first before Hector, then before another Trojan, and wherever he went the aim never failed. Diomedes, however, had been endowed by his friend Athena with the power to recognize the gods when they appeared amongst men, so that he was terrified, as he was about to throw himself upon Hector, to see the war god striding before him. He started back, and hastening toward the other Greek warriors cried: “Take care, friends, give way and do not contend with the gods! For Hector hath ever a god at his side. Mars is with him now in the guise of a mortal.” Diomedes, in awe of Mars, retired from the field, although the battle still raged. Hector slew two of the bravest Greek warriors and captured their horses. Ajax of Salamis looked grimly on, but did not dare attack him; he preferred to pursue a weaker man, Amphius of PÆsus. The battle had begun almost under the walls of Troy, but the Greeks had been forced back nearly to the ships, and they began to lose courage. Juno and Athena now determined to protect their favorites; for had they not promised Menelaus to avenge his wrongs? They signed Hebe to hitch the horses to the splendid chariot. Athena donned her breastplate, put on her golden helmet, and took up her mighty lance and the shield called Ægis. It was decorated with golden tassels and in the midst was the head of Medusa, the mere sight of which turned men to stone. Thus armed, she mounted the shining chariot, and Juno, standing beside her, guided the steeds. The gates of heaven, guarded by the HorÆ, opened of themselves and the goddesses stormed the heights of Olympus, where the father of the gods was sitting in solitude looking down upon the confusion. “Art thou not angered, Father Jupiter,” spake Juno, “that Mars is destroying the great and noble Achaian people? Wilt thou object if I force him from the field?” Jupiter answered: “To work! Set Pallas Athena upon him. She will soon discomfit him.” Overjoyed at the permission, Juno turned the horses and in an instant they had descended to the field before Troy. They paused where the Simois flows into the Scamander and enveloped chariot and steeds in a thick cloud. Then they hastened to the side of Tydeus’ son, and in Stentor’s shape and with his brazen voice Juno cried out: “Shame upon ye, people of Argos, so glorious to look upon and so faint-hearted. When Achilles was among you, the Trojans scarce ventured from the gates, but now that the only man among you is gone, they push you back to the ships.” Athena approached Diomedes where he stood beside his chariot, cooling the wound which Pandarus had inflicted. He was just beginning to feel the pain of it and could scarcely move his arm. He loosened the leather straps and pressed out the blood. “Shame upon you, son of Tydeus,” said the goddess reproachfully. “Thou art not as thy noble father. He was more eager for the fray and slew countless men of Cadmus’ race before Thebes. Thou knowest that I never leave thy side. Speak, how can fear have dominion over thee?” “Goddess,” answered the hero, “for I recognize thy voice, neither sloth nor fear restrain me, but I remember thy command. I plunged into the thick of the fight and piled corpse on corpse, until I saw Mars, the terrible, who fights in the front ranks of the Trojans. I gave way before him and warned the others; for who shall fight against the gods?” The goddess answered: “Diomedes, beloved of my soul, henceforth fear neither Mars nor any of the immortals, for I am beside thee. Turn thy prancing horses upon Mars and wound him boldly at close range, the unstable one.” She then took Sthenelus’ place in the chariot, wearing the helm of Aides, which rendered her invisible even to Mars. She guided the chariot straight towards him. When Mars saw Diomedes approaching he turned towards him, and leaning over, was about to plunge his spear into his body, but Athena turned it aside, and now Diomedes gave him such a thrust in the side that a mortal would certainly have succumbed. He withdrew the shaft and Mars fled, howling like ten thousand men. Both Achaians and Trojans were terrified at the din and Diomedes was amazed at his own deed and saw with astonishment the god rise up into the sky. There he showed the painful wound to Jupiter and complained loudly of Athena. But the father of the gods answered grimly: “Spare me thy whining! I despise thee above all the gods. Thou hast always loved quarrels and bickerings and art as stubborn and contentious as thy mother, Juno. But I cannot see my son suffer.” With these words he commanded PÆon, the physician of Olympus, to heal him. He placed a cooling balm upon the wound and Mars was healed, for he was immortal. Then Juno bathed him and clothed him with soft garments. As soon as the murderous Mars had been driven from the field the goddesses returned to the dwellings of the Olympian gods. |
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