Achilles (Mythological character) -- Juvenile literature; Trojan War -- Juvenile literature
By the side of Zeus did he sit down, and showed the immortal blood as
it flowed from the wound, and cried: "Father Zeus, canst thou contain
thyself, seeing such deeds as these? See now this daughter of thine,
how she is bent on evil and mischief. All we that dwell in Olympus
are obedient to thee; but her thou checkest not with word or deed.
And now she hath set on this bold Diomed to wreak his madness on the
immortal gods: first he wounded Aphrodite on the wrist; then he
rushed on me; my swift feet bare me away, else surely I had suffered
the pains of death among the carcasses of the slain."
But Zeus frowned on him, and spake: "Come not to me with thy
complaints, for of all the Olympian gods thou vexest me the most, for
battle and strife are ever dear to thee. 'Tis thy mother Hera that
hath put thee to this pain. Yet I may not suffer thee to endure the
anguish any more, for thou art my child."
Then Zeus called Pæon the healer, and bade him tend the wound; and he
cured it of its smart. Then Hebe gave to Ares the bath, and clad him
in fair array, and he sat down by Zeus, rejoicing.
Pæ'-on. He'-be.
CHAPTER VI
GLAUCUS AND DIOMED
Now when Ares had departed, the Greeks prevailed again, slaying many
of the sons of Troy and of their allies. But at last Helenus, the
wise seer, spake to Hector and Æneas:--
Glau'-cus. Hel'-e-nus.
"Cause the army to draw back to the walls, and go through the ranks
and give them such strength and courage as ye may. And do thou,
Hector, when thou hast so done, pass into the city, and bid thy
mother go with the daughters of Troy, and take the costliest robe
that she hath, and lay it on the knees of Athene in her temple,
vowing therewith to sacrifice twelve heifers, if perchance she may
have pity upon us, and keep this Diomed from our walls. Surely there
is no Greek so strong as he; we did not fear even Achilles' self so
much as we fear this man to-day, so dreadful is he and fierce. Go,
and we will make such stand meanwhile as we can."
Then Hector passed through the ranks, bidding them be of good heart,
and so departed to the city.
And when he was gone, Glaucus and Diomed met in the space between the
two hosts. Then first spake Diomed: "Tell me, thou mighty man of
valour, who thou art of mortal men, for never before have I seen thee
in the battle; but now thou comest out far before the ranks of thy
fellows, and art willing to abide my spear. If thou be one of the
immortal gods, and hast come down from heaven, I fight thee not. I
dare not match myself with the gods of heaven."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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