How the oath was broken
Chapter 3 How the oath was broken
Pandarus, son of the King of Lycia, came to help the Trojans. He could shoot an arrow with as good an aim as any man. Then Pandarus saw a youth, a son of King Priam. Such indeed, he seemed to be, but in truth the goddess Athena had taken this shape, for she and the goddess Hera hated the city of Troy and desired to bring it to ruin.
The false Trojan came up to Pandarus, as he stood among his men, and said to him: “Prince of Lycia, dare you to shoot an arrow at Menelaus? Truly the Trojans would love you, and Paris best of all, if they could see Menelaus killed with an arrow from your bow.”
Pandarus drew back on his bowstring and then let the arrow fly.
But though none of the Greeks saw what Pandarus was doing, Athena saw it, and she flew to where Menelaus stood and kept the arrow from doing him deadly hurt. She would not ward it off altogether, for she knew that the Greeks would be angry to see the king whom they loved so treacherously wounded and would have no peace with the Trojans.
Agamemnon was standing near, and when he saw the arrow, he cried: “Oh, my brother, it was a foolish thing that I did, when I made a covenant with the Trojans, for they are wicked men and break their oaths.”
But Menelaus said: “Do not trouble yourself, my brother, for the wound is not deep.” But King Agamemnon went through the army to see that it was ready for battle.
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Many great deeds were done that day, and many Greek chiefs showed themselves to be valiant men, but Diomed did the greatest deeds. He went through the battle, slaying all whom he met.
Pandarus said: “This man is Diomed. I know his shield and his helmet. Some god, I am sure, stands by him and defends him. Only just now I sent an arrow at him and hit him in the shoulder. I thought that I had wounded him to the death, for I saw blood spurt out; but I have not hurt him at all.
Pandarus cast his spear at Diomed. It pierced the shield and also the belt, so strongly was it thrown, but it went no further. But Pandarus cried: “Aha! This wound will stay you from fighting.”
Diomed said, “You have not wounded me at all. But now see what I will send.” And he threw his spear through the warrior’s nose and teeth and tongue.
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Hector saw this and went through the Trojan army, telling the men to be brave. Ares, the god of war, went with Hector, in the shape of a man. Even the brave Diomed, when he saw him and knew that he was a god, held back a little, saying: “See, Hector is coming, and Ares is with him, in the shape of a man. Let us give way a little, for we must not fight with gods.”
At this time, the Greeks were being driven back; many were killed and many were wounded. With Ares by his side, Hector was so fierce and strong that no one dared to stand up against him.
When the two goddesses, Hera and Athena, who loved the Greeks, saw this, they said to Zeus: “Father, do you see how furiously Ares is raging in the battle, driving the Greeks before him? May we stop him before he destroys them altogether?”
Zeus said: “You may do what you please.”
The goddesses flew to where the Greeks and Trojans were fighting. Hera took the shape of Stentor and cried: “Shame, men of Greece! When Achilles came to battle, the Trojans scarcely dared to go beyond the gates of their city, but now they are driving you to your ships.”
Athena went to Diomed and said, “You are not like your father; he was a great fighter. I do not know whether you are holding back because you are tired or because you are afraid; but certainly you are not like him.”
Diomed knew who it was that was speaking to him, and answered: “Great goddess, you yourself said to me: ‘Do not fight against any god.’ I see Ares rushing to and fro through the battle, and I do not dare to go against him.”
Athena answered: “Do not be afraid of Ares. I will come with you, and you shall wound him with your spear, and drive him away from the battle.”
Then she drove Diomed’s chariot straight at Ares. Athena had put on the helmet of Hades, the god who rules the dead; Ares did not see her, for no one who wears the helmet can be seen. Ares rushed at Diomed, and threw his spear. But Athena put out her hand and turned the spear aside, so that it flew through the air and hurt no one.
Then Diomed thrust his spear at Ares, and Athena leant all her weight upon it, so that it pierced the god. And when Ares felt the spear, he shouted with the pain and rose up to the sky as a thundercloud rises.
This was the greatest of the deeds of Diomed. He wounded Ares, the god of war, and drove him out of the battle.
n Next: Hector