#diomedes

hunnynutqueerio:

menelaus: what are you doing tonight?

diomedes: more like WHO am i doing

menelaus:

diomedes: no one. i’m free. what’s up?

-You shouldn’t be here.

-Neither should you.

After Hector’s rampage the Greeks end up crammed against their ships and both Agamemnon and Menelaus fail to sleep. One for wounded pride and one for guilt. No need to guess which is which. Menelaus is a good person I think and sees the best in others and it included assuming his brother was going out to war- ha!

Agamemnon does have a point when he says they need tactics to make up any of the ground lost and it includes the call for respect that he makes sure to use to each warrior regarding name of self and family and humbleness when calling them to meet. He even finds time to defend his brother in multiple ways to Nestor which is something nice to see.

Nestor again is responsible for the prodding of the Greeks to action leading to Diomedes and Odysseus going out for a scouting mission. Best part of this moment is Odysseus saying yeah yeah I’m great, now can we move before the sun comes up?

During their time out, the enemy sent spy is an idiot, granting them valuable information and satisfaction leading to the death of the Thracian king and the theft of his horses. Dolon is a worthless ass you blames Hector for his volunteering.

The whole thing ends with Apollo interfering to stop Athena’s meddling from doing any more damage.

This whole thing feels like the moment of squandered moments for the Trojans and proof of fates verdict.

P.S. Agamemnon has smooth feet- proof to me that he’s no warrior. Warriors and soldiers would have calloused feet.

P.P.S. Diomedes calls Nestor a “hard man” which he is. He is one seriously bad and tough dude.

This opens with a family meeting of the gods where Zeus says do what I say or I’ll beat the shit out of you or throw you into hell if you go back down there without my permission. He dares them to screw with him and leaves them in silence, “struck dumb.”

Athena is the first one with balls and even bigger ones, considering her actions, and says what, us? Interfere, we wouldn’t dream of it- and no shit it works because Zeus tells her it’s okay baby- your my favorite. But stay here.

Zeus balances fate of the day and when the Argives fate is low Zeus let loose thunder. The thunder causes all but Diomedes to pull back causing Zeus to aim at him. He wants to keep going but Nestor “is like no… you crazy.” To make matters worse, Hector starts trash talking which is funny since the gods are always saving him. But soldiers are soldiers. And Zeus lays waste and causes the one moment of Agamemnon when he asks the right question ‘Zeus why?’

However this doesn’t go answered and Hera thinks of rebellion. She is specifically hating Hector and rages. Athena overreacts and pouts that Zeus doesn’t love her like he used to. They both go against Zeus’s orders and he sends Iris to forbid them directly. Iris goes so far as to call Athena an “insolent brazen bitch.” Everyone assumes his wife and sister will be a pain in the ass but his daughter knows better and owes loyalty.

When Zeus comes up again he taunts them again and tells Hera to go cry to daddy, which I love, even if he is horrible.

Meanwhile, Hector and the Trojans make use of the wins and drive at them.

After the gods leave the field Diomedes continues his rampage through the Trojan ranks. The text lists the slaying of demigods at his hands. The action brings forward the kings of Greece including Menelaus. He almost takes a ransom prisoner until Agamemnon reminds him of his duty to slaughter and pushes his brother and ranks to kill and take no spoils until the Trojans are dead.

Opposing them, Hector and Aeneas bring their own ranks round to combat. But the Prince of Troy, Helenus the seer, tells Hector to return to the city to have the Queen and the ladies of Troy to attempt prayers and offerings to Athena to bring her wrath to an end. Troy has always given offerings but as the past passage attest, Athena brings much death and destruction when in her disfavor.

Once Hector leaves more Trojan heroes step forward to face Diomedes including the grandson of Bellerophon, Hippolochus. Their battle includes an exchange of their armor and sworn friendship. But it is the conversation that passes which includes Hippolochus review of his grandfather’s story that I find important and I wonder if it isn’t why this is in the epic. “But the day soon came when even Bellerophon was hated by all the gods.” The gods always have favorites. In Greece, in Troy, and they all have favorites and invariably in all the instances the gods turn on or turn their face from those they “love.” They are such fickle and hateful creatures.

Sarpedon and Diomedes fight is one of honor and grace in the middle of the war and shows that the Trojans have been part of the history of Greek life to a man. Diomedes’ father had come as had Hercules and others for the horses of Zeus and to show friendship. It is interesting to me that this exchange does show that on occasion Trojan kings had not been as meritous as Priam.

The full entrance of Athena in armor on the seen is a brilliant image which includes Panic, Hate, Defense, Assault and Medusa. In a male dominated society the woman is a better fighter then the man and is more then his equal according to Zeus. Ares dominates blind rage and other stupid acts of violence, but Athena wages war with knowledge and thought. Reason outweighs violence when each explode into war, “she’s the one–his match, a marvel at bringing Ares down in pain.” And it is to this she sets Diomedes to strike at Ares in opposition to what she had directed before. And forces the strike deep.

It is then I see a child of violence merely a child hurt. He whines to Zeus who feels no pity, stating clearly that he hates him (shit thing to say since its his son) refusing to punish Athena’s violations of the norms, but Zeus does see to his healing as the kind of immortal pain suffered by a god the father of gods does not wish to see continue.

Although it sounds like if he felt he could get rid of him he would. Hera plays a part here but this chapter is to me about the rise of Aeneas which leads to his later role and the fight between blind rage and righteous anger and it is in this role that Athena sends Ares home crying and returns home victorious.

The men of the Iliad are regularly warned against fighting gods for one reason or another but it always bothered me that Athena TOLD Diomedes to attack Aphrodite. Regardless of the sides the idea that a god would encourage assault on a god seems to be stupid for your own sake in the long run. Lack of respect of gods is a contagion that spreads… and as time has proven did spread to the abandonment of Athena herself.

A tiny but interesting thing struck me in the middle of these chapter. Diomedes wants the horses of Aeneas, one of the few men on the field born of a primary god, given by Zeus. Here the goddess of love’s son shows his power and courage and it is a joy to behold. While he may falter to Diomedes, who is driven by Athena’s word, he attempts and shows his courage wonderfully.

When he falls (thanks to Athena) the moment of assault by Diomedes occurs on Aphrodite and ensures that he will die, because as Dione states “the man who fights the gods does not live long?”

The gods interfere all the time and have been wounded many times but this brings out multiple gods to the defense of Aeneas (saving him legend says gives birth to the rise of Rome) and Aphrodite. And for a time Ares batters the Greeks back in vengeance. And as Athena pushes the fight Aeneas is set loose again.

This entire chapter is full of the gods’ most pathetic and childish interference. As at so many other points in the epic a god, this time Athena, empowers and emboldens a warrior to slaughter which none can stand against. She picks the famous Diomedes and makes him a bright light of impending death. She tells him to go forth but attack no gods.

Her push and his strength lead to a near death of Idaeus who has to be saved by Hephaestus. Athena immediately goes to Ares and tries to convince him to turn away and leave Diomedes to the attack with her touch still on him. Of course it works because Ares never was the smart one.

After Ares leaves the field Diomedes sets to killing the princes on the Trojan side and while reading it what struck me was what all of these allies say about Troy as a city and a people. The Greeks are there by force of contract, but the allies are there as what feels like real allies. These are peoples with economic and family ties to Troy and it says good things about the Trojans to me. They expanded influence in what feels like a more progressive and positive way. I have no doubt the allies don’t want Troy to fall for their own reasons but still.

During the same rash of violence you see all of the gods lose favorites to the horrors of war. Death after death of ones saved before and beloved by gods on and off the battlefield testifying to the small and lost fact that the gods feel what may be the last of male beauty falter as the city of Troy will to fate. The age of heroes it seems to me fades here and these moments of endless death represent this.