Iliad Book 5 - Public domain English translationAthena inspires Diomedes, so that when two Trojans in chariots set upon him, Diomedes aims his spear perfectly. One of the two gets away, with the help of Hephaestus. Athena suggests to Ares that they let the humans fight it out without their help.
For a Greek version, see The Chicago Homer
Diomedes continues to rout the Trojans until the son of Lycaon (Pandarus) hits him with an arrow. Diomedes goes to Sthenelus to have the arrow withdrawn.
Athena tells Diomedes to strike Aphrodite and she gives the Greek (NB: Homer refers to them mostly as Achaeans, and sometimes Argives or Danaans; Greek is our term) hero the ability to see the gods where other humans cannot. Diomedes resumes fighting, furiously.
The Trojan Aeneas tells Pandarus to join him in his chariot.
Sthenelus urges Diomedes to flee with him, but Diomedes refuses, telling Sthenelus to capture the horses of Aeneas.
Pandarus rides up and tells Diomedes he will kill him with a spear. He throws and the spear reaches Diomedes' breastplate. (In the code by which they fight, they take turns throwing their spears, so it it is now Diomedes' turn.) Diomedes then throws his spear, which Athena guides, fatally. Diomedes then takes a stone and throws it at Aeneas, hitting him in the groin, and forcing him to his knees. Aphrodite covers Aeneas and carries him out of battle. Diomedes can see the form of the goddess and chases after her, putting a spear through her hand. Ichor [technical term to learn referring to what flows through the veins of the gods] flows from the wound. She drops Aeneas, but Apollo catches him and covers him with darkness. Iris removes the wounded goddess from the fray. Aphrodite complains to her mother Dione that the Greeks have taken the fight to the gods. Dione tells about other wounds inflicted by mortals on the gods.
Athena and Hera make fun of Aphrodite. Meanwhile, Diomedes tries to kill Aeneas even though he is in Apollo's arms. Apollo warns him away and then takes Aeneas to his sanctuary. Then Ares stirs on the Trojans in the likeness of Acamas, chief of the Thracians. Sarpedon rebukes Hector. Hector rallies the Trojans and they stand against the Greeks, who stand firm. Many men die on both sides and then the Greeks retreat. Since Ares is with Hector, Athena and Hera join the fray on the Greek side. Athena dons the helmet of Hades so Ares cannot see her. She guides Diomedes to land a spear in Ares' stomach. Ares' roar makes both sides panic. Ares rises to Olympus where Zeus has no sympathy for the trouble maker. He says he hates Ares the most (elsewhere, he says similar things to Ares' mother Hera), but he has him healed anyway. Athena and Hera, having accomplished their mission of ridding the battlefield of Ares, also depart.
