ng loth, till in a trice they were at high Olympus, where
the gods have their dwelling. There she stayed them, unloosed them from
the chariot, and gave them their ambrosial forage; but Venus flung
herself on to the lap of her mother Dione, who threw her arms about her
and caressed her, saying, "Which of the heavenly beings has been
treating you in this way, as though you had been doing something wrong
in the face of day?"

And laughter-loving Venus answered, "Proud Diomed, the son of Tydeus,
wounded me because I was bearing my dear son Aeneas, whom I love best
of all mankind, out of the fight. The war is no longer one between
Trojans and Achaeans, for the Danaans have now taken to fighting with
the immortals."

"Bear it, my child," replied Dione, "and make the best of it. We
dwellers in Olympus have to put up with much at the hands of men, and
we lay much suffering on one another. Mars had to suffer when Otus and
Ephialtes, children of Aloeus, bound him in cruel bonds, so that he lay
thirteen months imprisoned in a vessel of bronze. Mars would have then
perished had not fair Eeriboea, stepmother to the sons of Aloeus, told
Mercury, who stole him away when he was already well-nigh worn out by
the severity of his bondage. Juno, again, suffered when the mighty son
of Amphitryon wounded her on the right breast with a three-barbed
arrow, and nothing could assuage her pain. So, also, did huge Hades,
when this same man, the son of aegis-bearing Jove, hit him with an
arrow even at the gates of hell, and hurt him badly. Thereon Hades went
to the house of Jove on great Olympus, angry and full of pain; and the
arrow in his brawny shoulder caused him great anguish till Paeeon
healed him by spreading soothing herbs on the wound, for Hades was not
of mortal mould. Daring, head-strong, evildoer who recked not of his
sin in shooting the gods that dwell in Olympus. And now Minerva has
egged this son of Tydeus on against yourself, fool that he is for not
reflecting that no man who fights with gods will live long or hear his
children prattling about his knees when he returns from battle. Let,
then, the son of Tydeus see that he does not have to fight with one who
is stronger than you are. Then shall his brave wife Aegialeia, daughter
of Adrestus, rouse her whole house from sleep, wailing for the loss of
her wedded lord, Diomed the bravest of the Achaeans."

So saying, she wiped the ichor from the wrist of her daughter with both
hands,