He and Odysseus were the only Achaean heroes who participated in covert military operations that demanded discipline, bravery, courage, cunning, and resourcefulness. Tzetzes on Lycophron, 602, 618. After the death of Achilles, it was prophesied that Troy could not be taken if Neoptolemus (Achilles's son) would not come and fight. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). In Shakespeare's play of that title, Diomedes is often seen fighting Troilus over her. The phrase Diomedian swap originated from this incident. According to Quintus Smyrnaeus, the Achaean leaders agreed to the boon of returning her body to the Trojans for her funeral pyre. Diomedes won the first prize "a woman skilled in all useful arts, and a three-legged cauldron". Diomedes agreed to the proposal, drew up his men and routed the Messapians. With little effort, they create uncertainty and fear in the enemy's ranks while boosting morale among their own forces. Fleeing for his life, he sailed to Italy and founded Argyripa (later Arpi) in Apulia, eventually making peace with the Trojans. ad Aen. The first night mission also fulfills one of the prophecies required for the fall of Troy: that Troy will not fall while the horses of Rhesus feed upon its plains. ii. Although the original purpose of this night mission was spying on the Trojans, the information given by Dolon persuaded the two friends to plan an attack upon the Thracians. [9] According to Hyginus, Diomedes went with Odysseus to fetch Iphigenia, making this the two companions' first mission together. The main battle took place at Glisas where Prince Aegialeus (son of Adrastus and heir to the throne) was slain by King Laodamas, who was in turn killed by Alcmaeon. When there, we may keep out of the battle and beyond the range of the spears lest we get fresh wounds in addition to what we have already, but we can spur on others, who have been indulging their spleen and holding aloof from battle hitherto." After the war Diomedes returned home to find that his wife had been unfaithful (Aphrodites punishment) and that his claim to the throne of Argos was disputed. Idaeus of the Trojans came for a peace negotiation, and he offered to give back all the treasures Paris stole plus moreeverything except Helen. Subsequently, when Daunus too had died, the Dorians were conquered by the Illyrians, but were metamorphosed by Zeus into birds.37 According to Tzetzes, Diomedes was murdered by Daunus, whereas according to others he returned to Argos, or disappeared in one of the Diomedean islands, or in the country of the Heneti.38, A number of towns in the eastern part of Italy, such as Beneventum, Aequumtuticum, Argos Hippion (afterwards Argyripa or Arpi), Venusia or Aphrodisia, Canusium, Venafrum, Salapia, Spina, Sipus, Garganum, and Brundusium, were believed to have been founded by Diomedes.39 The worship and service of gods and heroes was spread by Diomedes far and wide: in and near Argos he caused temples of Athena to be built;40 his armor was preserved in a temple of Athena at Luceria in Apulia, and a gold chain of his was shown in a temple of Artemis in Peucetia. . ThoughtCo. He vanquished (and could have killed) Aeneas (the second best Trojan warrior) once. Diomedes ruled Argos for more than five years and brought much wealth and stability to the city during his time. Aeneas faints and is rescued by his mother before Diomedes can kill him. In order to secure his grasp on the throne, Diomedes married Aegialeus' daughter, Princess Aegialia.[5]. Knowing that Philoctetes would never agree to come with them, they sailed to the island and stole the bow of Heracles by a trick. Diomedes answered, "Hector will talk among the Trojans and say, 'The son of Tydeus fled before me to the ships.' Diomedes was, on his father's side, an Aetolian, and on his mother's an Argive. Diomedes and Odysseus . At Troezen he had founded a temple of Apollo Epibaterius, and instituted the Pythian games there. [4], As Diomedes and the Argive forces travelled home, an elderly King Adrastus died of grief upon learning that his son Aegialeus had perished in the battle; as such, Diomedes was left as the last of Adrastus' male descendants. Strabo mentions that one was uninhabited. A drinking song to Harmodius, one of the famous tyrannicides of Athens, includes a reference to Diomedes as an inhabitant of the Islands of the Blessed, along with Achilles and Harmodius.[53]. He turned round, seized the sword of Odysseus, tied his hands, and drove him along in front, beating his back with the flat of his sword. Achilles then regrets killing her. Mindful of Athena's orders, Diomedes runs after Aphrodite and wounds her arm. She not only gave the whip back to the son of Tydeus but also put fresh strength to his horses and went after Eumelus to break his yoke. Glyptothek, Munich. [30] A passage in Aelian's On Animals explains the significance of this island and the mysterious birds which inhabit it. Adrastos promised to do so and set out to gather an expeditionary force with which to march against Thebes. Who is Diomedes in The Iliad? [16] Others say that, though Diomedes guessed or knew about the plot, he did not try to defend Palamedes, because Odysseus was essential for the fall of Troy. Trojans now encircle Odysseus, left to fight alone. Then they went where Dolon had indicated, and having found the Thracian king, Diomedes let him and twelve of his soldiers pass from one kind of sleep to another; for they were all killed in their beds, while asleep. According to the instructions of Helenus, Priam's wife gathered matrons at the temple of Athena in the acropolis and offered the goddess the largest, fairest robe of Troy. So we all know Odysseus and Diomedes as the murderous dynamic duo from the Illiad. He was the favorite warrior of Athena (who even drove his chariot once). In Book IX, Agamemnon proposes going back to Hellas because Zeus has turned against them. Odysseus' words hinted that he actually did not wish to be selected. According to the Epic Cycle, Odysseus and Phoenix did this. Two of her warriors, named Alcibie and Derimacheia, were slain by Diomedes. According to some scholars, the rest of Thracians, deprived of their king, left Troy to return to their kingdom. He might have perished if not for Diomedes. In any case, Tydeus was exiled, and he found refuge at Argos, where the king, Adrastus, offered him hospitality, even giving him his daughter, Deipyle, to be his wife. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Diomedes then makes a prediction (based on Homeric tradition) that eventually becomes true. After the expedition of the Epigoni he is mentioned among the suitors of Helen,19 and his love of Helen induced him to join the Greeks in their expedition against Troy with thirty ships.20 Being a relative of Thersites, who was slain by Achilles, he did not permit the body of the Amazon Penthesilea to be honorably buried, but dragged her by the feet into the river Scamander.21 Philoctetes was persuaded by Diomedes and Odysseus to join the Greeks against Troy.22 Diomedes conspired with Odysseus against Palamedes, and under the pretense of having discovered a hidden treasure, they let him down into a well and there stoned him to death.23, After the death of Paris, Diomedes and Odysseus were sent into the city of Troy to negotiate for peace,24 but he was afterwards one of the Greeks concealed in the wooden horse.25 When he and Odysseus had arrived in the arx of Troy by a subterraneous passage, they slew the guards and carried away the Palladium,26 as it was believed that Ilium could not be taken so long as the Palladium was within its walls. Meanwhile, Odysseus gathered the team of Rhesus horses. Diomedes is the king of Argos and one of the generals in the Trojan War. Diomedes immediately threw his spear at Hector, aiming for his head. In The Iliad, the gods relate to human beings either as external powers that influence the lives of mortals from without, as when Apollo unleashes plague upon the Achaeans, or from within, as when Aphrodite incites Helen to make love to Paris or when Athena gives Diomedes courage in battle. 9, xi. He slew many Trojan warriors inside the city. The latter responds by saying "at least, one of you will be slain" and throws his spear. Diomedes' father, Tydeus, was among those who had been slain. Diomedes then hurls a spear that hits Hector's helmet. Greek mythology tells us that the men each reflected important aspects of Athena's character. Glaucus told the story of how he was descended from Bellerophon who killed the Chimaera and the Amazons. ", In order to attain immortality, a scholiast for Nemean X says Diomedes married Hermione, the only daughter of Menelaus and Helen, and lives with the Dioscuri as an immortal god while also enjoying honours in Metapontum and Thurii.[51]. It was a favorite topic for epics, but, all of these epics are now lost. Diomedes wanted to avenge Thersites, but the other leaders persuaded the two mightiest Achaean warriors against fighting each other. In the funeral games of Patroclus, Diomedes (though wounded) won all the games he played. Throughout the Iliad, Diomedes and Nestor are frequently seen speaking first in war-counsel. x. (In Book 15, Zeus tells Hera that he has already planned the method of bringing Achilles back to battle, confirming that Diomedes was right all along). A great rival of Ajax and Agamemnon, and a close ally of Odysseus, Diomedes is an intriguing . Beholding this trick played by the sun god, Athena reacted with great anger. In still another, Diomedes dies of old age. Therefore, he gave it back to his enemy, Aeneas.[30]. Cypria says that Polyxena died after being wounded by Odysseus and Diomedes in the capture of the city.[32]. Still others say that despite Diomedes's noble treatment of her son Aeneas, Aphrodite never managed to forget about the Argive spear that had once pierced her flesh in the fields of Troy. Such an incident doesn't happen even in the other Homeric epic, The Odyssey, where Athena always appears to Odysseus in disguise. The king of Argos slew Thymbraeus, two sons of Merops, and Agastrophus. Although he can face both of these warriors together, he knows that Aphrodite may try to save her son. His parents were the Aeolian Tydeus, son of the Calydonian king Oeneus, and Deipyle. 16.The Second Region of Italy. Cypria testimonium 30 [Bernab] = Pausanias 10.31.2. Idomeneus words portray ambush, "the place where the merit of men most shines through, where the coward and the resolute man are revealed", as type of warfare only for the bravest.[18]. He was the only Achaean warrior apart from Achilles who carried such an arsenal of gear made by Hera's son. Strabo reflects on the peculiarities of this island, including the history tied to Diomedes' excursions and the regions and peoples among which he had the most influence. Greek Hero Cults and Ideas of Immortality. Sthenelus was the driver of Diomedes chariot and probably his closest friend. The Achaeans learnt from Helenus, that Troy would not fall, while the Palladium, image or statue of Athena, remained within Troy's walls. Aristophanes, Ecclesiazusae 1029; Plato, Republic 493D; Zenobius 3.8. According to Dolon, Hector and the other councilors were holding conference by the monument of great Ilus, away from the general tumult. All the troops from Argos, Tiryns, Troezen and some other cities were headed by Diomedes. Diomedes alone accepted the proposal, and thus recovered Argos.34, According to another set of traditions, Diomedes did not go to Aetolia till after his return from Troy, when he was expelled from Argos, and it is said that he went first to Corinth; but being informed there of the distress of Oeneus, he hastened to Aetolia to assist him. His golden armor bore a crest of a boar on the breast. The third tradition claims he disappeared on Diomedea, the uninhabited island (called after him) in the Adriatic where the Shearwaters who were formerly his companions live, which implies some kind of deification. Pandarus is killed and Aeneas is left to fight Diomedes (now unarmed). There he was recognized by Helen, who told him where the Palladium was. Diomedes points out that because Troy is destined to fall, they should continue fighting regardless of Zeus interventions. by Marie-Lan Nguyen (Jastrow) published on 22 September 2022. After Achilles' death, the Achaeans piled him a mound and held magnificent games in his honor. This stratagem invented by Odysseus made it possible to take the city. Hera saw the havoc created by her son and together with Athena, she came to the Achaeans' aid. Penthesileia led a small army of Amazons to Troy for the last year of the Trojan War. The god Hephaestus made Diomedes' cuirass for him. This throw was dead accurate but the helmet given by Apollo saved Hector's life. [26] The expression 'Diomedeian Compulsion' also originated from this. He states that when he found Diomedes, he was laying the foundations of his new city, Argyrippa. Having Nestor as the driver, Diomedes bravely rushed towards Hector. He threatened to leave Troy, never to return believing that this choice will enable him to live a long life. [10] However, Pseudo-Apollodorus has Agamemnon send Odysseus and Talthybius instead. He was also the only hero except Heracles, son of Zeus, that attacked Olympian gods. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus experiences many ups and downs throughout his journey home. Apulian red-figure situla, from Ruvo. Diomedes also encourages Agamemnon to take the lead of next day's battle. This force was made up of seven individual champions, each assigned to lead an assault on one of the seven gates of the city; Tydeus, Polynices and Adrastus were among them. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Diomedes was alerted to the danger by glimpsing the gleam of the sword in the moonlight. Diomedes then slays a number of Trojan warriors including Phegeus (whose brother was spirited away by Hera's son, Hephaestus before being slain by Diomedes) until Pandarus wounds him with an arrow. An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works This cult was not widespread; cults like those of Herakles and Theseus had a much more prominent function in the Greek world due to the benefits which they granted their followers and the popular mythological traditions of these figures. [6], According to Hyginus and Pseudo-Apollodorus, Diomedes became one of the suitors of Helen and, as such, he was bound by the oath of Tyndareus, which established that all the suitors would defend and protect the man who was chosen as Helen's husband against any wrong done against him in regard to his marriage. There are several statues and many ancient drawings of him with the Palladium. Antoninus Liberalis, 37; comp. He was born to Tydeus and Deipyle and later became King of Argos, succeeding his maternal grandfather, Adrastus. The brave man makes an end of every foe." Red-figure pottery, c. 360 BCE. ThoughtCo, Apr. Others say his companions were turned into birds afterwards. He was married to Penelope, the daughter of Icarius, by whom he . When Achilles stripped Penthesileia of her armour, he saw that the woman was young and very beautiful, and seemingly falls madly in love with her. That being so, upon returning home to Argos, Diomedes ascended to the throne. Lets leave it to the gods to set his mind on that." Diomedes took the Palladium with him when he left Troy. Athena caused a quarrel between Agamemnon and Menelaus about the voyage from Troy. In the Iliad, he dominates Book V with his military virtue and he is important throughout. The fourth tradition comes from the Heneti, who claim Diomedes stayed in their country and eventually had a mysterious apotheosis. I say, then, let us go to the fight as we needs must, wounded though we be. Where did Dante learn about Odysseus? He also said that his purpose in Italy is to live in peace. This cult reached so far East in the Mediterranean due to the Achaean migration during the 8th century. (Book IX) Agamemnon accepts this counsel and the next day's battle starts with his ", ael Kos, Marjeta. [37], The Greeks and Romans credited Diomedes with the foundation of several Greek settlements in Magna Graeca in southern Italy: Argyrippa or Arpi, Aequum Tuticum (Ariano Irpino), Beneventum (Benevento), Brundusium (Brindisi), Canusium (Canosa), Venafrum (Venafro), Salapia, Spina, Garganum, Sipus (near Santa Maria di Siponto),[38] Histonium (Vasto), Drione (San Severo),[citation needed] and Aphrodisia or Venusia (Venosa). Shortly after that Paris jumped up in joy for he managed to achieve a great feat by fixing Diomedes' foot to the ground with an arrow. [44] Other sources claim that Diomedes had one more meeting with his old enemy Aeneas where he gave the Palladium back to the Trojans. During the absence of Diomedes, Agamemnon took possession of Argos; but when the expedition against Troy was resolved upon, Agamemnon from fear invited Diomedes and Alcmaeon back to Argos, and asked them to take part in the projected expedition. Article created on Saturday, May 24, 1997. Together, the two friends killed several guards and one or more priests of Athena's temple and stole the Palladium "with their bloodstained hands". During the Achaean council held, Agamemnon asked for a volunteer to spy on the Trojans. Athena, of course, did not grant it. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. D.B. Under Odysseus' cover, Diomedes withdrew the arrow but unable to fight with a limp, he retired from battle. Having achieved their objective, the Epigoni returned home, but not before they installed Thersander, son of the fallen prince Polynices (the instigator of the first Theban expedition), as the city's new ruler. Nem. He was planning to kill some more Thracians and stealing the chariot of the king with his armour when Athena advised him to back off for some other god may warn the Trojans. The hero also states that birds pursue him and his soldiers, birds which used to be his companions and cry out everywhere they land, including the sea cliffs. There are various accounts of how Diomedes died. I am a bit confused on the whole palladium situation though. When, during the night, the two heroes were returning to the camp with their precious booty, and Odysseus was walking behind him, Diomedes saw by the shadow of his companion that he was drawing his sword in order to kill him, and thus to secure to himself alone the honor of having taken the Palladium. This proposal was approved by both Agamemnon and Odysseus. Profile of Ajax: Greek Hero of the Trojan War, Profile of the Greek Hero Achilles of the Trojan War, Non-Canonical Retelling of the Tale of Troy, An Explanation of the Term "Trojan Horse", The 10 Greatest Heroes of Greek Mythology, Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of Love and Beauty, M.A., Linguistics, University of Minnesota. v. p. 214, &c. Farnell, Lewis Richard. Athena favored two warriors heavily during all of the battles: Odysseus and Diomedes. The Diomedes of the Iliad and the Epic Cycle is a violent man. He says that Troy is fated to fall, and the men roar with assent. N.S. Once, he was even granted divine vision in order to identify immortals. Left alone in the battleground, Diomedes took his stand before Nestor and ordered him to take Sthenelus place. [47], Diomedes was worshipped as a hero not only in Greece, but on the coast of the Adriatic, as at Thurii and Metapontum. Serv. Having said this, Diomedes cut off the prisoner's head with his sword, without giving him time to plead for his life. Dolon proved to be the better runner but Athena infused fresh strength into the son of Tydeus for she feared some other Achaean might earn the glory of being first to hit Dolon. According to Little Iliad, Odysseus wanted to sail home with the bow but Diomedes refused to leave Philoctetes behind. He is regarded as the perfect embodiment of traditional heroic values. Pandarus throws his spear first and brags that he has killed the son of Tydeus. When they cast lots to choose one among those warriors, the Achaeans prayed "Father Zeus, grant that the lot fall on Ajax, or on the son of Tydeus, or upon Agamemnon." Ajax gave Diomedes the prize (long sword) because Diomedes drew the first blood. [39], Virgil's Aeneid describes the beauty and prosperity of Diomedes' kingdom. Diomedes faces this situation by displaying both his might and wisdom. Ajax was chosen to fight Hector. Corrections? While her influence is indirect during the hero's travels, she plays a vital role in the events that take place in Ithaca. However, this was one of the two instances where Diomedes' opinion was criticized by Nestor. This was another bonus of the night mission. There was a temple consecrated to Diomedes called 'The Timavo' at the Adriatic. [28] Others say that he brought it to Italy. He was loud at the war-cry, hot-tempered, impatient, and daring."[2]. This is the longest aristeia in the epic. Agamemnon said, "Someone, it may be, old or young, can offer us better counsel which I shall rejoice to hear." Fate and gods were with Achaeans at the start and therefore Zeus interventions could only be temporary. Having said this, Diomedes slew Ilioneus. In the account of Dares the Phrygian, Diomedes was illustrated as ". He had been exiled from his homeland for killing his relatives, either his cousins or his paternal uncles. While the others were sleeping inside their tents, king Diomedes was seen outside his tent clad in his armour sleeping upon an ox skin, already well-prepared for any problem he may encounter at night. Diomedes was one of the Greeks who had a spot in the famous Trojan Horse along with Odysseus, Menelaus and Neoptolemus. He left the city and his undertakings half-finished and went home where he died. You are still youngyou might be the youngest of my own childrenstill you have spoken wisely and have counselled the chief of the Achaeans not without discretion;'" Achaean council Book IX. The leader of a large army and a favorite of Athena, Diomedes functions as a second Achilles. Taking a new driver, Archeptolemus, Hector advanced forward again. As far as can be surmised from extant Not bothering with weapons, Diomedes picks up a huge stone and crushes his enemy's hip with it. His father, Tydeus, had participated in the seven against Thebes expedition. He made the Trojans stronger so they could drive away the Achaeans from battle. Loeb Classical Press, 1923. Stealing the Palladium after killing the priests was viewed as the greatest transgression committed by Diomedes and Odysseus by Trojans. Ajax owned the biggest armour and the tallest shield which covered most of his body leaving only two places vulnerable; his neck and armpits. [40] Venulus, one of Latinus' messengers, recalls the mission to Diomedes after they seek his help in the war against the Rutulians. Diomedes rises up before the men and criticizes Agamemnon, telling him that he may sail if he wishes, but that he will stay and fight the Trojans. Only Diomedes and Menelaus were offered immortality and became gods in post-Homeric mythology. Diomedes defeated the Messapians, and distributed their territory among the Dorians who had accompanied him. Saying these words, Nestor turned the horses back. Dictys Cretensis, vi, 2; Tzetzes on Lycophron, 609; Servius on Virgil's. He also declared that he will never leave the city unvanquished for the gods were originally with them. He still kept an eye on Calydonian politics (his father's homeland), and when the sons of Agrius (led by Thersites) put Oeneus (Diomedes grandfather) in jail and their own father on the throne, Diomedes decided to restore Oeneus to the throne. Greek Epic Fragments, 155. Despite his fury of war, Diomedes held back his sword so that the old man might speak. Although he was the youngest of the Achaean kings, Diomedes is considered the most experienced leader by many scholars (he had fought more battles than others, including the war of the Epigoni, the most important war expedition before the Trojan War even old Nestor had not participated in such military work). Odysseus and Diomedes intercept and destroy the enemy's scout; they also win great glory by stealing magnificent horses and armor, while terrifying the enemy with the sight of a bloodily slaughtered ally. vi. Omissions? Enraged, Achilles killed Thersites with a single blow to his face. Odysseus and Diomedes stealing the horses of Thracian king Rhesus they have just killed. [27] (The incident was commemorated in 1842 by the French sculptor Pierre-Jules Cavelier in a muscle-bound plaster statue). The two nations 'Monadi' and the 'Dardi' were vanquished by Diomedes along with the two cities of 'Apina' and 'Trica'. Later, Thersites fought against the Trojans in the Trojan War and noble Diomedes did not mistreat him (however, Thersites was hated by all the other Achaeans). Or else, if he ever entered Argos, he had to take sanctuary at the altar of Hera, and thence flee with his companions by night. Hector then seized the battlefield and slew many Achaeans. Pausanias. If we set you free tonight, there is nothing to prevent your coming down once more to the Achaean ships, either to play the spy or to meet us in open fight. The mission to Achilles' tent occurs early in the evening, while the mission across the Trojan line occurs quite lateduring the third watch, according to Odysseus, or . Let's explore his relationship with each one of them: Odysseus and Agamemnon: Agamemnon was the brother of Menelaus, King of Sparta, and he wages the war against Troy. According to Homer, Diomedes enters the war with a fleet of 80 ships, third only to the contributions of Agamemnon (100 ships) and Nestor (90). Odysseus, unsuccessfully, tried to persuade the Achaean leaders to put Ajax to death, by stoning the Locrian leader (to divert the goddess's anger). 1. There are less known versions of Diomedes' afterlife. Apulian red-figure situla, from Ruvo When Hector proposes a single combat duel, Odysseus is one of the Danaans who reluctantly volunteered to battle him. Diomedes was the commander of 80 Argive ships and one of the most respected leaders in the Trojan War. [14] Another version says that he conspired with Odysseus against Palamedes,[15] and under the pretence of having discovered a hidden treasure, they let him down into a well and there stoned him to death. However, she withdrew the intended privilege in apparent disgust when Tydeus gobbled down the brains of the hated enemy who had wounded him.[3]. Identifying the god of war, Diomedes protected the Achaeans by ordering them to withdraw towards their ships. Only the Trojans had watchfires; they, therefore, were awake and kept each other to their duty as sentinels; but the allies who have come from other places were asleep and left it to the Trojans to keep guard. ""god-like cunning" or "advised by Zeus"") is a hero in Greek mythology, known for his participation in the Trojan War. Schol. 15; comp. Although he has failed in killing Aeneas, Sthenelus, following his orders, has already stolen the two valuable horses of Aeneas. Diomedes, with the help of Athena, also wounded Ares. Ten years later, the Epigoni set out to launch another expedition against Thebes, appointing Alcmaeon as their commander-in-chief. Seeing this, all the great Achaean warriorsincluding the two Ajaxes, Agamemnon, Idomeneus and Odysseustook flight. Ajax attacked Diomedes where his armour covered his body and achieved no success. Cunning Diomedes only gave away a bronze armour for the golden one he received. Diomedes continued his feats by killing Axylus and Calesius. In his Inferno, Dante sees Diomedes in the Eighth Circle of Hell, where the "counsellors of fraud" are imprisoned for eternity in sheets of flame. It was created by a mortal smith but was blessed by Athena, who gave it to Tydeus. In another, he dies from treachery. He then criticized Diomedes for not making any positive proposal to replace Agamemnon's opinion a failure which Nestor ascribed to his youth. Book V begins with Athena, the war-like goddess of wisdom putting valour into the heart of her champion warrior. He was a skilled politician and was greatly respected by other rulers. In fact, when Thersites was brutally slain by Achilles (after having mocked him when the latter cried over Penthesilia's dead body), Diomedes was the only person who wanted to punish Achilles. "Cypria" fragment 27. In Fellini's movie 8, a cardinal tells this story to actor Marcello Mastroianni. He begged Diomedes for help in warring against the Messapians, for a share of the land and marriage to his daughter. 246; Strab. They took the spoils and set them upon a tamarisk tree in honour of Athena. Robert Parker, On Greek Religion (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2011): 245. Relationship & Differences 6:05 Odysseus in The Iliad: Character Analysis . This article was most recently revised and updated by, From Athena to Zeus: Basics of Greek Mythology, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Diomedes-Greek-mythology, Theoi Greek Mythology - Biography of Diomedes. The Greek hero Diomedes, at one time a suitor of Helen of Troy, was one of the most valued leaders of the Achaeans (Greeks) in the Trojan War, providing perhaps as many as 80 ships. Although the episodes in Books 9 and 10 take place during the same night, providing a break from the fighting, little continuity exists between them. His offenses include advising the theft of the Palladium and, of course, the strategem of the Trojan Horse. Next, he fought with great Ajax in an armed sparring contest where the winner was to draw blood first. Diomedes thought three times of turning back and fighting Hector, but Zeus thundered from heaven each time. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. But Diomedes told him: "You have given us excellent news, but do not imagine you are going to get away, now that you have fallen into our hands.