case I say that you are no
true son of Tydeus the son of Oeneus."

Diomed answered, "I know you, goddess, daughter of aegis-bearing Jove,
and will hide nothing from you. I am not afraid nor out of heart, nor
is there any slackness in me. I am only following your own
instructions; you told me not to fight any of the blessed gods; but if
Jove's daughter Venus came into battle I was to wound her with my
spear. Therefore I am retreating, and bidding the other Argives gather
in this place, for I know that Mars is now lording it in the field."

"Diomed, son of Tydeus," replied Minerva, "man after my own heart, fear
neither Mars nor any other of the immortals, for I will befriend you.
Nay, drive straight at Mars, and smite him in close combat; fear not
this raging madman, villain incarnate, first on one side and then on
the other. But now he was holding talk with Juno and myself, saying he
would help the Argives and attack the Trojans; nevertheless he is with
the Trojans, and has forgotten the Argives."

With this she caught hold of Sthenelus and lifted him off the chariot
on to the ground. In a second he was on the ground, whereupon the
goddess mounted the car and placed herself by the side of Diomed. The
oaken axle groaned aloud under the burden of the awful goddess and the
hero; Pallas Minerva took the whip and reins, and drove straight at
Mars. He was in the act of stripping huge Periphas, son of Ochesius and
bravest of the Aetolians. Bloody Mars was stripping him of his armour,
and Minerva donned the helmet of Hades, that he might not see her;
when, therefore, he saw Diomed, he made straight for him and let
Periphas lie where he had fallen. As soon as they were at close
quarters he let fly with his bronze spear over the reins and yoke,
thinking to take Diomed's life, but Minerva caught the spear in her
hand and made it fly harmlessly over the chariot. Diomed then threw,
and Pallas Minerva drove the spear into the pit of Mars's stomach where
his under-girdle went round him. There Diomed wounded him, tearing his
fair flesh and then drawing his spear out again. Mars roared as loudly
as nine or ten thousand men in the thick of a fight, and the Achaeans
and Trojans were struck with panic, so terrible was the cry he raised.

As a dark cloud in the sky when it comes on to blow after heat, even so
did Diomed son of Tydeus see Mars ascend into the broad heavens. With
all speed he reached high Olympus, home of the gods, and in g