Capaneus was not unmindful of the orders that Diomed had given him. He
made his own horses fast, away from the hurly-burly, by binding the
reins to the rim of the chariot. Then he sprang upon Aeneas's horses
and drove them from the Trojan to the Achaean ranks. When he had so
done he gave them over to his chosen comrade Deipylus, whom he valued
above all others as the one who was most like-minded with himself, to
take them on to the ships. He then remounted his own chariot, seized
the reins, and drove with all speed in search of the son of Tydeus.

Now the son of Tydeus was in pursuit of the Cyprian goddess, spear in
hand, for he knew her to be feeble and not one of those goddesses that
can lord it among men in battle like Minerva or Enyo the waster of
cities, and when at last after a long chase he caught her up, he flew
at her and thrust his spear into the flesh of her delicate hand. The
point tore through the ambrosial robe which the Graces had woven for
her, and pierced the skin between her wrist and the palm of her hand,
so that the immortal blood, or ichor, that flows in the veins of the
blessed gods, came pouring from the wound; for the gods do not eat
bread nor drink wine, hence they have no blood such as ours, and are
immortal. Venus screamed aloud, and let her son fall, but Phoebus
Apollo caught him in his arms, and hid him in a cloud of darkness, lest
some Danaan should drive a spear into his breast and kill him; and
Diomed shouted out as he left her, "Daughter of Jove, leave war and
battle alone, can you not be contented with beguiling silly women? If
you meddle with fighting you will get what will make you shudder at the
very name of war."

The goddess went dazed and discomfited away, and Iris, fleet as the
wind, drew her from the throng, in pain and with her fair skin all
besmirched. She found fierce Mars waiting on the left of the battle,
with his spear and his two fleet steeds resting on a cloud; whereon she
fell on her knees before her brother and implored him to let her have
his horses. "Dear brother," she cried, "save me, and give me your
horses to take me to Olympus where the gods dwell. I am badly wounded
by a mortal, the son of Tydeus, who would now fight even with father
Jove."

Thus she spoke, and Mars gave her his gold-bedizened steeds. She
mounted the chariot sick and sorry at heart, while Iris sat beside her
and took the reins in her hand. She lashed her horses on and they flew
forward nothi