Trojans to the well-greaved Greeks
the beautiful-maned steeds of AEneas, and gave them to Deipylus, his
beloved companion (whom he honoured above all his coevals, because he
possessed in his mind sentiments congenial with himself), to drive them
to the hollow ships: but the hero himself, having ascended his chariot,
took the splendid reins; and instantly drove his solid-hoofed steeds
after the son of Tydeus with ardour; but Diomede pursued Venus with the
cruel steel,[212] knowing that she was an unwarlike goddess, nor [one]
of those goddesses who administer the war of men, neither Minerva, nor
city-destroying Bellona. But when he had now overtaken her, having
pursued her through a great crowd, then the son of magnanimous Tydeus,
having stretched forward, wounded the feeble [goddess] in the extremity
of the hand, bounding on with the sharp brass. Instantly the spear
pierced through the skin, through her ambrosial robe (which the Graces
themselves had wrought), at the extremity [of the hand] above the palm.
Immortal blood flowed from the goddess, ichor, such, to wit, as flows
from the blessed gods. For they eat not bread, nor drink dark wine;
therefore are they bloodless, and are called immortal. But she screaming
aloud, cast her son from her: and him Phoebus Apollo rescued in his
hands in a sable cloud, lest any of the swift-horsed Greeks, casting the
steel into his breast, should take away his life. But warlike Diomede
shouted loudly after her:

[Footnote 211: Cf. Theocrit. i. 105: [Greek: Ou legetai tan Kyprin o
boukolos, erpe pot' idan, Erpe not' Anchisan]. See Hymn, in Vener.
54, sqq.; and Grote, Hist. of Greece, vol. i. p. 73.]

[Footnote 212: It is well known that these battles and woundings
of the gods gave so much scandal to Plato, that he wished to cast
Homer out of his republic, much to the indignation of Heraclides
Ponticus, Alleg. Hom. p. 511. The fathers of the early church
made no small use of Plato's opinion on this head. Cf. Euseb. P.
E. ii. 10; Tertull. Apol. Sec. xiv.; Augustin, C. D. ii. 14;
Minucius Felix, 22; who all make use of his testimony as an
argument against Paganism. See Coleridge, Classic Poets, p. 64.]

"Withdraw, O daughter of Jove, from war and battle. Is it not sufficient
that thou dost practise deception upon feeble women? But if thou wilt go
to the war, I certainly think thou wilt hereafter dread battle, even
though thou but hearest of it elsewhere."