Page 91 - the-iliad

darkness, lest some Danaan should drive a spear into his
breast and kill him; and Diomed shouted out as he left her,
‘Daughter of Jove, leave war and battle alone, can you not be
contented with beguiling silly women? If you meddle with
fighting you will get what will make you shudder at the very
name of war.’
The goddess went dazed and discomfited away, and Iris,
fleet as the wind, drew her from the throng, in pain and
with her fair skin all besmirched. She found fierce Mars
waiting on the left of the battle, with his spear and his two
fleet steeds resting on a cloud; whereon she fell on her knees
before her brother and implored him to let her have his
horses. ‘Dear brother,’ she cried, ‘save me, and give me your
horses to take me to Olympus where the gods dwell. I am
badly wounded by a mortal, the son of Tydeus, who would
now fight even with father Jove.’
Thus she spoke, and Mars gave her his gold-bedizened
steeds. She mounted the chariot sick and sorry at heart,
while Iris sat beside her and took the reins in her hand. She
lashed her horses on and they flew forward nothing loth,
till in a trice they were at high Olympus, where the gods
have their dwelling. There she stayed them, unloosed them
from the chariot, and gave them their ambrosial forage; but
Venus flung herself on to the lap of her mother Dione, who
threw her arms about her and caressed her, saying, ‘Which
of the heavenly beings has been treating you in this way, as
though you had been doing something wrong in the face
of day?’
And laughter-loving Venus answered, ‘Proud Diomed,

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