Diomedes Wounds the Gods
Empowered by Athena, Diomedes becomes one of the most formidable Greek warriors at Troy and even attacks gods who enter the battle.
The Story
During the Trojan War, Diomedes became the centre of one of the most extraordinary battle sequences in the Iliad.
Athena strengthened him and gave him the ability to distinguish gods from mortals on the battlefield.
She warned him not to attack the immortals indiscriminately.
But Aphrodite was an exception.
When Aphrodite entered the fighting to protect her son Aeneas, Diomedes attacked her.
He wounded the goddess in the hand.
Aphrodite fled from the battlefield and returned to the divine world.
The confrontation did not end there.
Ares was also fighting among the Trojans.
With Athena's direct assistance, Diomedes attacked the god of war himself.
His spear struck Ares.
The wounded god withdrew from battle and complained to Zeus.
For a brief period, a mortal warrior had successfully driven two Olympian gods from the battlefield.
Diomedes' aristeia made him one of the greatest Greek warriors of the Iliad and demonstrated just how directly the gods could shape human combat.
Key Figures
Why It Matters
The episode establishes Diomedes as one of the greatest warriors at Troy and dramatically demonstrates the involvement of Athena, Aphrodite and Ares in the war.
Traditions & Variations
The central episodes are told in Homer's Iliad, particularly Book 5. Later traditions expand Diomedes' career beyond the events described there.