Athena Protecting Diomedes

But when the glorious son of Lycaon was ware of him as he raged across the plain and drove the battalions in rout before him, forthwith he bent against the son of Tydeus his curved bow, and with sure aim smote him as he rushed onwards upon the right shoulder on the plate of his corselet; through this sped the bitter arrow and held straight on its way, and the corselet was spattered with blood. Over him then shouted aloud the glorious son of Lycaon: "Rouse you, great-souled Trojans, ye goaders of horses. Smitten is the best man of the Achaeans, and I deem he will not for long endure the mighty shaft, if in very truth the king, the son of Zeus, sped me on my way when I set forth from Lycia."

So spake he vauntingly; howbeit that other did the swift arrow not lay low, but he drew back, and took his stand before his horses and chariot, and spake to Sthenelus, son of Capaneus: "Rouse thee, good son of Capaneus; get thee down from the car, that thou mayest draw forth from my shoulder the bitter arrow."

So spake he, and Sthenelus leapt from his chariot to the ground, and stood beside him, and drew forth the swift arrow clean through his shoulder; and the blood spurted up through the pliant tunic. And thereat Diomedes, good at the war-cry, made prayer: "Hear me, child of Zeus that beareth the aegis, unwearied one! If ever with kindly thought thou stoodest by my father's side amid the fury of battle, even so do thou now be likewise kind to me, Athene. Grant that I may slay this man, and that he come within the cast of my spear, that hath smitten me or ever I was ware of him, and boasteth over me, and declareth that not for long shall I behold the bright light of the sun."

So spake he in prayer, and Pallas Athene heard him, and made his limbs light, his feet and his hands above; and she drew near to his side and spake to him winged words: "Be of good courage now, Diomedes, to fight against the Trojans, for in thy breast have I put the might of thy father, the dauntless might, such as the horseman Tydeus, wielder of the shield, was wont to have. And the mist moreover have I taken from thine eyes that afore was upon them, to the end that thou mayest well discern both god and man. Wherefore now if any god come hither to make trial of thee, do not thou in any wise fight face to face with any other immortal gods, save only if Aphrodite, daughter of Zeus, shall enter the battle, her do thou smite with a thrust of the sharp bronze."

When she had thus spoken, the goddess, flashing-eyed Athene, departed, and the son of Tydeus returned again and mingled with the foremost fighters; and though afore his heart had been eager to do battle with the Trojans, now verily did fury thrice so great lay hold upon him, even as upon a lion that a shepherd in the field, guarding his fleecy sheep, hath wounded as he leapt over the wall of the sheep-fold, but hath not vanquished; his might hath he roused, but thereafter maketh no more defence, but slinketh amid the farm buildings, and the flock all unprotected is driven in rout, and the sheep are strewn in heaps, each hard by each, but the lion in his fury leapeth forth from the high fold; even in such fury did mighty Diomedes mingle with the Trojans.

[...]

Then took he two sons of Priam, Dardanus' son, Echemmon and Chromius, the twain being in one car. Even as a lion leapeth among the kine and breaketh the neck of a heifer or a cow as they graze in a woodland pasture, so did Tydeus' son thrust both these in evil wise from their car, sorely against their will, and thereafter despoiled them of their armour; and the horses he gave to his comrades to drive to the ships.

But Aeneas was ware of him as he made havoc of the ranks of warriors, and went his way along the battle amid the hurtling of the spears in quest of godlike Pandarus, if so be he might anywhere find him. He found the son of Lycaon, goodly and valiant, and took his stand before his face, and spake to him, saying: "Pandarus, where now are thy bow and thy winged arrows, and thy fame? Therein may no man of this land vie with thee, nor any in Lycia declare himself to be better than thou. Come now, lift up thy hands in prayer to Zeus, and let fly a shaft at this man, whoe'er he be that prevaileth thus, and hath verily wrought the Trojans much mischief, seeing he hath loosed the knees of many men and goodly; if indeed he be not some god that is wroth with the Trojans, angered by reason of sacrifices; with grievous weight doth the wrath of god rest upon men."

To him then spake the glorious son of Lycaon: "Aeneas, counsellor of the brazen-coated Trojans, to the wise-hearted son of Tydeus do I liken him in all things, knowing him by his shield and his crested helm, and when I look on his horses; yet I know not surely if he be not a god. But if he be the man I deem him, even the wise-hearted son of Tydeus, not without the aid of some god doth he thus rage, but one of the immortals standeth hard by him, his shoulders wrapped in cloud, and turned aside from him my swift shaft even as it lighted. For already have I let fly a shaft at him, and I smote him upon the right shoulder clean through the plate of his corselet;  and I deemed that I should send him forth to Aïdoneus, yet I subdued him not; verily he is some wrathful god. And horses have I not at hand, neither car whereon I might mount—yet in Lycaon's halls, I ween, there be eleven fair chariots, new-wrought, new-furnished, with cloths spread over them; and by each standeth its yoke of horses feeding on white barley and spelt. Aye, and as I set out hither the old spearman Lycaon straitly charged me in our well-built house: he bade me be mounted on horse and car, and so lead the Trojans in mighty conflicts. Howbeit I hearkened not—verily it had been better far!—but spared the horses lest in the multitude of men they should lack fodder, they that were wont to eat their fill. So I left them, and am come on foot to Ilios, trusting in my bow; but this, meseems, was to avail me not. Already have I let fly a shaft at two chieftains, the son of Tydeus and Atreus' son, and smitten them fairly, and from them both of a surety I drew forth blood, yet did I but arouse them the more. Wherefore with ill hap was it that I took from the peg my curved bow on that day when I led my Trojans to lovely Ilios to do pleasure to Hector. But if so be I shall return and behold with mine eyes my native land and my wife and great, high-roofed palace, then may some alien forthwith cut my head from me, if I break not this bow with my hands and cast it into the blazing fire; for worthless as wind doth it attend me."

To him then spake in answer Aeneas, leader of the Trojans: "Nay, speak not thus; things shall in no wise be any better before that we twain with horses and chariot go to face this man and make trial of him in arms. Nay, come, mount upon my car, that thou mayest see of what sort are the horses of Tros, well skilled to course fleetly hither and thither over the plain whether in pursuit or in flight. They twain will bring the two of us safely to the city, if again Zeus shall vouchsafe glory to Tydeus' son Diomedes. Come, therefore, take thou now the lash and the shining reins, and I will dismount to fight; or else do thou await his onset, and I will look to the horses."


- Homer, The Iliad, Book 5 (A. T. Murray translation)


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Then in answer the shining son of Lykaon spoke to him:
“Aineias, charged with the counsels of the bronze-armored Trojans,
I liken him in all ways to the valiant son of Tydeus,
going by his shield and the hollow eyes of his helmet
and by the look of his horses; but it may be a god, I am not sure;
and if this is a man, as I think, and the valiant son
of Tydeus, yet not without god does he rage so, but some one
of the immortals, mantling in mist his shoulders, stands close beside him
who turned my flying arrow as it struck, elsewhere, away from him.
For I have shot my shaft already, and hit him in the shoulder,
the right one, hard driven through the hollow of his corselet,
and I said to myself I had hurled him down to meet Aïdoneus,
yet still I have not beaten him; now this is some god who is angered.
But I have no horses nor chariot I could mount in, and yet
somewhere in the great house of Lykaon are eleven chariots,
beauties, all new made, just finished, and over them blankets
lie spread, and beside each chariot one brace of horses
stand there, champing their white barley and oats. But Lykaon
the aged spearman spoke to me over and over, as I was
on my way from the house well compacted, advising me;
he told me to take my horses and chariots, and riding
there to be lord among the Trojans in the strong encounters.
I did not let him persuade me, and that would have been far better,
sparing my horses, who had grown accustomed to eating all
they wished, from going hungry where the men were penned in a small place.
So I left them and made my way on foot to Ilion
trusting my bow, a thing that was to profit me nothing.
For now I have drawn it against two of their best men, Tydeus’
son, and the son of Atreus, and both of these I hit
and drew visible blood, yet only wakened their anger.
So it was in bad luck that I took from its peg the curved bow
on that day when I carried it to lovely Ilion
at the head of my Trojans, bringing delight to brilliant Hektor.
Now if ever I win home again and lay eyes once more
on my country, and my wife, and the great house with the high roof,
let some stranger straightway cut my head from my shoulders
if I do not break this bow in my hands and throw it in the shining
fire, since as a wind and nothing I have taken it with me.”
Then in turn Aineias, lord of the Trojans, answered him:
“Speak no more this way; there will be no time for changing
before you and I must face this man with horses and chariot
and strength against strength fight it out with our weapons. Therefore
mount rather into my chariot, so that you may see
what the Trojan horses are like, how they understand their
plain, and how to traverse it in rapid pursuit and withdrawal.
These two will bring us safe to the city again, if once more
Zeus grants glory to Diomedes the son of Tydeus.
Come then, taking into your hands the goad and the glittering
reins, while I dismount from my chariot and carry the fighting;
or else yourself encounter this man, while I handle the horses.”


- Homer, The Iliad, Book 5 (Richmond Lattimore translation)