The Iliad 5.1–15 — Narrator | The Lexicon

The Iliad 5.1–15

And now to Tydeus' son, Diomedes, Pallas Athene gave might and courage, that he should prove himself pre-eminent amid all the Argives, and win glorious renown. She kindled from his helm and shield flame unwearying, like to the star of harvesttime that shineth bright above all others when he hath bathed him in the stream of Ocean. Even such flame did she kindle from his head and shoulders; and she sent him into the midst where men thronged the thickest. Now there was amid the Trojans one Dares, a rich man and blameless, a priest of Hephaestus; and he had two sons, Phegeus and Idaeus, both well skilled in all manner of fighting. These twain separated themselves from the host and went forth against Diomedes, they in their car, while he charged on foot upon the ground. And when they were come near, as they advanced against each other, first Phegeus let fly his far-shadowing spear; and over the left shoulder of the son of Tydeus passed the point of the spear, and smote him not. Then Tydeus' son rushed on with the bronze, and not in vain did the shaft speed from his hand, but he smote his foe on the breast between the nipples, and thrust him from the car.

ἔνθʼ αὖ Τυδεΐδῃ Διομήδεϊ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη δῶκε μένος καὶ θάρσος, ἵνʼ ἔκδηλος μετὰ πᾶσιν Ἀργείοισι γένοιτο ἰδὲ κλέος ἐσθλὸν ἄροιτο· δαῖέ οἱ ἐκ κόρυθός τε καὶ ἀσπίδος ἀκάματον πῦρ ἀστέρʼ ὀπωρινῷ ἐναλίγκιον, ὅς τε μάλιστα λαμπρὸν παμφαίνῃσι λελουμένος ὠκεανοῖο· τοῖόν οἱ πῦρ δαῖεν ἀπὸ κρατός τε καὶ ὤμων, ὦρσε δέ μιν κατὰ μέσσον ὅθι πλεῖστοι κλονέοντο. ἦν δέ τις ἐν Τρώεσσι Δάρης ἀφνειὸς ἀμύμων ἱρεὺς Ἡφαίστοιο· δύω δέ οἱ υἱέες ἤστην Φηγεὺς Ἰδαῖός τε μάχης εὖ εἰδότε πάσης. τώ οἱ ἀποκρινθέντε ἐναντίω ὁρμηθήτην· τὼ μὲν ἀφʼ ἵπποιιν, ὃ δʼ ἀπὸ χθονὸς ὄρνυτο πεζός. οἳ δʼ ὅτε δὴ σχεδὸν ἦσαν ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισιν ἰόντες Φηγεύς ῥα πρότερος προΐει δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος·

Lattimore commentary

In this book, the first extended aristeia (“display of warrior’s excellence”) in the poem, Diomedes, the “best of the Achaians” next to Achilleus, takes the field with Athene’s divine help. Her wish to make him conspicuous is visible in his armor’s fiery blaze (like the dog-star Sirius). His success, even against intervening gods, will give the Greek side temporary hopes of victory. The Trojans and their allies are consistently depicted as worshiping the same gods as the Greeks (see, e. g., 1.35–42, 6.297–310). In the stylized convention of the Iliad, the first warrior to strike generally loses in any single-combat encounter. Complicating the action here is the recurrent motif of two warriors against one. Another frequent motif, the battle over a corpse, is repeated in vastly expanded form in the fight to retrieve the body of Patroklos (book 17).

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menos