And Queen Hera heard him, and called to Hephæstus, saying: "Cease, my son; it doth not beseem thee to work such damage to a god for the sake of a mortal man." So Hephæstus quenched his fire, and the River flowed as he flowed before. But among the other gods there arose a dreadful strife, for they were divided, the one part against the other. With a great crash they came together, and the broad earth resounded, and the heavens rang as with the voice of a trumpet; and Zeus heard it as he sat on Olympus, and was glad in heart to see the gods join in battle. First of all, Ares, the shield-piercer, rushed against Athene, holding his spear in his hand, and cried: "Why dost thou make the gods to strive in battle, thou that art bold as a fly and shameless as a dog? Dost thou not remember how thou didst set Diomed, the son of Tydeus, upon me to wound me, and how thou didst take his spear in thy hand, so that all might see it, and drive it through my thigh? Now will I repay thee for all that thou hast done." And he smote on the shield--the mighty shield that not even the thunder of Zeus can break. But Athene took up in her hand a great stone that lay upon the plain. Black it was and rough, and very great, that men of old had set for a boundary of the field. With this she smote Ares on the neck, that his knees failed beneath him. He lay along the ground, a hundred feet and more, and Athene laughed when she saw him, and cried: "Fool! hast thou not yet learned how much stronger I am than thou, that thou matchest thy might against me? Lie there and suffer the curses of thy mother; for she is wroth because thou hast betrayed the Greeks and helpest the men of Troy." But Aphrodite took him by the hand, and would have led him away; deep did he groan, and scarce could he gather his spirit together. And when Hera saw it, she cried to Athene, saying: "See now, how Aphrodite would lead Ares out of the battle! Pursue her now, and hinder her." So Athene pursued after her, and smote her on the breast with her heavy hand; and her knees failed beneath her. So these two lay upon the earth, and Athene cried over them: "Now would that all who help the sons of Troy were as brave and strong as these two. Long since had we ceased from war and destroyed the fair city of Troy." CHAPTER XXI THE SLAYING OF HECTOR