Seba.Health

The Iliad 5.835–849

The Iliad 5.835–849
So saying, with her hand she drew back Sthenelus, and thrust him from the car to earth, and he speedily leapt down; and she stepped upon the car beside goodly Diomedes, a goddess eager for battle. Loudly did the oaken axle creak beneath its burden, for it bare a dread goddess and a peerless warrior. Then Pallas Athene grasped the lash and the reins, and against Ares first she speedily drave the single-hooved horses. He was stripping of his armour huge Periphas that was far the best of the Aetolians, the glorious son of Ochesius. Him was blood-stained Ares stripping; but Athene put on the cap of Hades, to the end that mighty Ares should not see her. Now when Ares, the bane of mortals, was ware of goodly Diomedes, he let be huge Periphas to lie where he was, even where at the first he had slain him and taken away his life but made straight for Diomedes, tamer of horses.
ὣς φαμένη Σθένελον μὲν ἀφʼ ἵππων ὦσε χαμᾶζε, χειρὶ πάλιν ἐρύσασʼ, δʼ ἄρʼ ἐμμαπέως ἀπόρουσεν· δʼ ἐς δίφρον ἔβαινε παραὶ Διομήδεα δῖον ἐμμεμαυῖα θεά· μέγα δʼ ἔβραχε φήγινος ἄξων βριθοσύνῃ· δεινὴν γὰρ ἄγεν θεὸν ἄνδρά τʼ ἄριστον. λάζετο δὲ μάστιγα καὶ ἡνία Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη· αὐτίκʼ ἐπʼ Ἄρηϊ πρώτῳ ἔχε μώνυχας ἵππους. ἤτοι μὲν Περίφαντα πελώριον ἐξενάριζεν Αἰτωλῶν ὄχʼ ἄριστον Ὀχησίου ἀγλαὸν υἱόν· τὸν μὲν Ἄρης ἐνάριζε μιαιφόνος· αὐτὰρ Ἀθήνη δῦνʼ Ἄϊδος κυνέην, μή μιν ἴδοι ὄβριμος Ἄρης. ὡς δὲ ἴδε βροτολοιγὸς Ἄρης Διομήδεα δῖον, ἤτοι μὲν Περίφαντα πελώριον αὐτόθʼ ἔασε κεῖσθαι ὅθι πρῶτον κτείνων ἐξαίνυτο θυμόν, αὐτὰρ βῆ ῥʼ ἰθὺς Διομήδεος ἱπποδάμοιο.
Lattimore commentary
As heroes are stronger than men of the current day, so gods are weightier than heroes.
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