Then Aeneas leapt from his chariot and stood astride the lifeless body, like a lion at bay, fearful lest the Greeks should take from him the body of his friend. In his hand Diomedes seized a mighty stone, and with it smote Aeneas on the thigh, crushing the bone, and tearing the skin. On his knees fell the great Aeneas, and soon must he have perished, but Aphrodite saw the peril of her son and wound her white arms about him, and would have borne him safely away. But Diomedes, leaping in his chariot, pursued her, and with his spear he wounded her sorely on the wrist. With a great cry Aphrodite let fall her son, but another of the gods was near and bore him away in the covering of a cloud. ‘Away with thee, Aphrodite!’ called Diomedes. ‘It is surely enough for thee to beguile feeble women and to keep away from battle!’ Then upon Aeneas he leapt, not knowing that it was a god whose arms held him. Three times did he seek fiercely to slay Aeneas, and three times did the god beat him back. ‘Thou warrest with the gods! Have a care, Diomedes!’ shouted the god in a terrible voice, and Diomedes for a little shrank back. Then truly did the gods come to war against Greeks and Trojans, for Mars and Athene and Hera in fury fought amongst the hosts. ‘Shame on ye! men of Greece,’ cried Athene. ‘While noble Achilles went forth to war, the Trojans dared scarcely pass without their gates, but now they bring their fighting close to the ships on the beach!’ So she roused the Greeks to further fury. To Diomedes then she went. Him she found beside his chariot, wiping away the blood from the wound dealt him by Pandarus. ‘An unworthy son of thy brave father art thou, Diomedes,’ she said. ‘Alone would thy father fight; but though I stand by thy side to guard thee, either weariness or fear hath taken hold on thee.’ ‘I have no fear, neither am I weary,’ answered Diomedes, ‘but thou hast told me to smite none of the gods save Aphrodite, and now see I the god Mars leading the men of Troy. So have I stayed my hand and called back my men from the battle.’ Then answered bright-eyed Athene: ‘Diomedes, joy of mine heart, fear not Mars nor any other of the gods, for I am thy helper. Go now, guide thy chariot against Mars and smite him hand to hand. This day did he promise me to fight for the Greeks, and now he fights against them.’ So saying, she made the charioteer of Diomedes give her his place, and herself, with whip and reins, did she guide the fiery horses. And Mars, seeing the chariot of Diomedes draw near, leaving many dead behind him, eagerly came to meet it. With furious thrust did he drive his spear at Diomedes, but Athene seized it in her hand and turned it aside. Then did Diomedes thrust at Mars with his spear of bronze, and it Athene guided so that it pierced the thigh of the god of war. Loud as nine thousand or ten thousand warriors cry in battle, did Mars bellow with rage and pain, and like a thunder-cloud he swept upwards through the sky to Olympus.