Diomedes’ Aristeia: Wounding of Aphrodite and Ares

Catalogue ID: 04-trojan-cycle/017-diomedes-aristeia-aphrodite-ares

Cycle: Trojan

Version line: Homeric — *Iliad* 5 (with close of 4 / opening of 6)

Sources: Homer, *Iliad* 5.1–909; 6.1–118 (battlefield lead-in before Hector enters Troy)

Source file: /workspace/greek-myth-catalogue/04-trojan-cycle/017-diomedes-aristeia-aphrodite-ares.md

Characters

Aeneas — son of Anchises and Aphrodite; nearly killed; saved by gods
Amphitrite — fights for Troy; wounded and driven off
Aphrodite — comforts wounded Aphrodite on Olympus
Artemis — ally of Athena against Troy’s divine helpers
Diomedes — son of Tydeus; Achaean champion who wounds Aphrodite and Ares
Eros — rescues Aeneas; wounded in the wrist; flees to Olympus
Hector — rallies Trojans under Sarpedon’s rebuke
Pandarus — wounds Diomedes; killed by him
People of Crisa — empowers Diomedes; joins his chariot against Ares
Sarpedon — Lycian leader; shames Hector into action
Sthenelus — Diomedes’ charioteer

Places

Achaean and Trojan lines — general battle continuing after the gods withdraw
Assembly — field of Diomedes’ aristeia
Olympus — Aphrodite’s and Ares’ returns wounded
Pergamus — where Aeneas is healed

Themes

Narrative

Athena put fury and boldness into Diomedes son of Tydeus so that he shone among the Argives. He killed Trojan after Trojan—Astynous, Hypeiron, Abas, Polyidus, Xanthus, Thoon, two sons of Phaenops—until Pandarus wounded him with an arrow through the shoulder. Diomedes prayed; Athena healed the wound’s force and lifted the mist from his eyes so he might know god from man, warning him not to fight any immortal except Aphrodite if she entered the field. Aeneas found Pandarus; together they charged in a chariot. Diomedes killed Pandarus with a spear-cast and smashed Aeneas with a stone, breaking his hip. Aphrodite shielded her son; Diomedes pursued and drove his spear through her wrist. She fled shrieking to Olympus; Dione comforted her while Athena and Hera mocked. Apollo took up Aeneas into his temple in Pergamus and made a phantom on the field; Sarpedon rebuked Hector; Ares entered the fight on Troy’s side. Diomedes, still guided, held back from gods until Athena mounted beside him, put on Hades’ cap of invisibility against Ares’ sight, and drove their chariot at the war-god. Diomedes’ spear, thrust by Athena, tore Ares’ belly; Ares bellowed and fled to Zeus, who rebuked him but healed him. Athena and Hera left the field; the mortals fought on. Diomedes’ day of glory—wounding two Olympians—stands as the great Achaean aristeia while Achilles still sits idle.