 |
But the goddess roused him on, her eyes blazing:
"True son of Tydeus, Diomedes, joy of my heart
Forget the orders - nothing to fear, my friend,
neither Ares nor any other god. You too,
I'll urge you on with so much winning force.
Up now! Lash your racing horses at Ares first,
strike him at close range, no shrinking away here
before that headlong Ares! Just look at the maniac,
born for disaster, double-dealing, lying two-faced god -
just now he promised me and Hera, the War-god swore
he'd fight the Trojans, stand behind the Argives.
But now, look, he's leading the Trojan rampage,
his pledges thrown to the winds!"
With that challenge
Athena levered Sthenelus out the back of the car.
A twist of her wrist and the man hit the ground,
springing aside as the goddess climbed aboard,
blazing to fight beside the shining Diomedes.
The big oaken axle groaned beneath the weight,
bearing a great man and a terrifying goddess -
and Pallas Athena seized the reins and whip,
lashing the racing horses straight at Ares.
The god was just stripping giant Periphas bare,
the Aetolians' best fighter, Ochesius' noble son -
the blood-smeared Ares was tearing off his gear
but Athena donned the dark helmet of Death
so not even stark Ares could see her now.
But the butcher did see Tydeus' rugged son
and he dropped gigantic Periphas on the spot
where he'd just killed him, ripped his life away
and Ares whirled at the stallion-breaking Diomedes -
the two of them closing fast, charging face-to-face
and the god thrust first, over Tydides' yoke and reins,
with bronze spear burning to take the fighter's life.
But Athena, her eyes afire, grabbed the flying shaft,
flicked it over the car and off it flew for nothing -
and after him Diomedes yelled his war cry, lunging
with his own bronze spear and Pallas rammed it home,
deep in Ares' bowels where the belt cinched him tight.
There Diomedes aimed and stabbed, he gouged him down
his glistening flesh and wrenched the spear back out
and the brazen god of war let loose a shriek, roaring,
thundering loud as nine, ten thousand combat soldiers
shriek with Ares' fury when massive armies clash.
A shudder swept all ranks, Trojans and Argives both,
terror-struck by the shriek the god let loose,
Ares whose lust for slaughter never dies. |
