His famous exploits include the wounding of Aphrodite, the slaughter of Rhesus and his Thracians, and seizure of the Trojan Palladium, the sacred image of the goddess Pallas Athena that protected Troy. He says that even if Achilles somehow manages to leave Troy, he will never be able to stay away from battle because human efforts and choice cannot defy fate; "let him go or staythe gods will make sure that he will fight." Diomedes responded that it was part of Agamemnon's tasks as a leader to urge forward the Achaean soldiers, and that men of valour should have no problem withstanding such insults. Diomedes was king of the Greek city Argos. The last was made as a peace-offering to the goddess, including temples in her honor. In spite of careful watch, Diomedes managed to launch an attack upon the sleeping Trojans. 31. Tydeus was Athena's favorite warrior at the time, and when he was dying she wanted to offer him a magic elixir (which she had obtained from her father) that would make him immortal. Sources: 15; comp. This is the vaunt he will make, and may the earth then swallow me." Yet, the spear was sent with such great force that Hector swooned away. Nem. Gill, N.S. Callimachus, , line 35., Farnell 1921: 290. According to some other sources, Diomedes angrily tossed Penthesileia's body into the river, so neither side could give her decent burial. . v. p. 214, &c. Farnell, Lewis Richard. Hector's brother Helenus described Diomedes' fighting skills in this manner: "He fights with fury and fills men's souls with panic. This first night mission demonstrates another side of these two kings where they employed stealth and treachery along with might and bravery. He was born to Tydeus and Deipyle and later became King of Argos, succeeding his maternal grandfather, Adrastus. The latter responds by saying "at least, one of you will be slain" and throws his spear. When Athena saw Diomedes resting near his horses, she mocked him, reminding him of Tydeus who frequently disobeyed her advice. The hero instantly selected Odysseus for he was loved by Athena and was quick witted. Others say that Aegialia herself had taken a lover, Cometes (son of Sthenelus), being persuaded to do so by Palamedes's father Nauplius. He was loud at the war-cry, hot-tempered, impatient, and daring."[2]. [47], Diomedes was worshipped as a hero not only in Greece, but on the coast of the Adriatic, as at Thurii and Metapontum. Seeing that Nestor's life was in danger, the son of Tydeus shouted for Odysseus' help. Agamemnon said, "Someone, it may be, old or young, can offer us better counsel which I shall rejoice to hear." He took his mighty Thunderbolt and shot its lightning in front of Diomedes chariot. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Diomedes is one of the few Achaean commanders to return home safely, arriving in Argos only four days after his departure from Troy. He is also a close friend of Odysseus, and the two have a rough banter which establishes them as equals. He vanquished (and could have killed) Aeneas (the second best Trojan warrior) once. Dolon gave them several valuable pieces of information. Both of them were favorite heroes of Athena and each shared characteristics of their patron goddess Odysseus her wisdom and cunning, and Diomedes her courage and skill in battle; though neither was wholly bereft of either aspect. When the sacrifice of Iphigenia (Agamemnon's daughter) became a necessity for the Achaeans to sail away from Aulis, King Agamemnon had to choose between sacrificing his daughter and resigning from his post of high commander among Achaeans. Diomedes points out the folly of offering these gifts which ultimately served only to encourage Achilles' pride to the level that he now wishes to defy fate. Oeneus then exiled Tydeus and young Diomedes was forever marked by the dishonor of his father. Diomedes was married to Aegialia when he left for Troy. Omissions? ""god-like cunning" or "advised by Zeus"") is a hero in Greek mythology, known for his participation in the Trojan War. 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). These words were applauded by all and Agamemnon said, "This is the answer of the Achaeans.". I ween that at break of day, he shall be among the first to fall and many another of his comrades round him. Stealing the Palladium after killing the priests was viewed as the greatest transgression committed by Diomedes and Odysseus by Trojans. On further questioning, Diomedes and Odysseus learnt that among the various allies, Thracians were the most vulnerable for they had come last and were sleeping apart from the others at the far end of the camp. However, when Agamemnon earlier uses the same kind of taunting on Odysseus, he responds with anger. I hold him mightiest of them all; we did not fear even their great champion Achilles, son of an immortal though he be, as we do this man: his rage is beyond all bounds, and there is none can vie with him in prowess.". [11] According to Euripides, neither of the two went to fetch Iphigenia, though he calls the plan Odysseus' idea in Iphigenia at Taurus.[12]. It is never explained in the epic why Dolon, specially mentioned as a man of lesser intelligence, came to notice this flaw while Hector (in spite of all his boasting) completely missed/ignored it. Although Odysseus had deserted Diomedes in the battlefield that very day, instead of criticizing him, the latter praised his bravery in front of others. Ares saw only Diomedes in the chariot and threw his spear which was caught by Athena. 12; Scylax, Peripl. Antilochus told his horses that there is no point trying to overtake Diomedes for Athena wishes his victory. According to Quintus Smyrnaeus, while slaughtering countless Trojans, Diomedes met an elderly man named Ilioneus who begged for mercy. Diomedes then climbed the wall of Troy and entered the city. Diomedes then threw his spear (which was guided by Athena) at Ares, wounding his stomach. Notably, Dante's Odysseus does not return to Ithaca, deciding to travel beyond the known world instead. Paris answers the Achaeans' act by wounding Diomedes with an arrow, thus sidelining the great warrior for the rest of the epic. When he decided to sacrifice his daughter to Artemis, Odysseus carried out this order of Agamemnon by luring Iphigenia from Mycenae to Aulis, where murder, disguised as wedding, awaited her. He says that Troy is fated to fall, and the men roar with assent. Heracles (now a god) or Athena then persuaded Philoctetes to join the Achaeans again (with the promise that he will be healed) and he agreed to go with Diomedes. 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. Pausanias. Aristophanes, Ecclesiazusae 1029; Plato, Republic 493D; Zenobius 3.8. Dictys Cretensis, ii, 15; comp. However, she withdrew the intended privilege in apparent disgust when Tydeus gobbled down the brains of the hated enemy who had wounded him.[3]. Red-figure pottery, c. 360 BCE. Penthesileia led a small army of Amazons to Troy for the last year of the Trojan War. They resolved to not fight each other and Diomedes proposed exchanging their armours. At Troezene he had founded a temple of Apollo Epibaterius and instituted the Pythian games there. He begged Diomedes for help in warring against the Messapians, for a share of the land and marriage to his daughter. He is throw into peril and there often seems to be no hope for his return home. Diomedes then hurls a spear that hits Hector's helmet. His famous exploits include the wounding of Aphrodite, the slaughter of Rhesus and his Thracians, and seizure of the Trojan Palladium, the sacred image of the goddess Pallas Athena that protected Troy. x. Respecting Apollo, Diomedes then withdraws himself from that combat. Having truthfully revealed valuable things, Dolon expected to be taken as a prisoner to the ships, or to be tied up, while the other two found out whether he had told them the truth or not. Cret. From this action was said to have arisen the Greek proverbial expression Diomedes necessity", applied to those who act contrary to their inclination for the greater good. Once in Troy, Odysseus murdered Palamedes (the commander who outwitted Odysseus in Ithaca, proving him to be feigning insanity and thus forcing him to stand by his oath and join the alliance), drowning him while he was fishing. In all these versions, killing Rhesus by Diomedes was instrumental for the victory. An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works Some say that both Diomedes and Odysseus drowned Palamedes. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Despite his fury of war, Diomedes held back his sword so that the old man might speak. It's possible that labelling Diomedes a suitor of Helen was a later addition, extrapolated from his name being listed in the Catalogue of Ships. Diomedes defeated the Messapians, and distributed their territory among the Dorians who had accompanied him. In any case Aegialia, being helped by the Argives, prevented Diomedes from entering the city. "Returns" argument 1. Diomedes plays an important role in the medieval legend of Troilus and Cressida, in which he becomes the girl's new lover when she is sent to the Greek camp to join her traitorous father. Diomedes: Weapons Befitting a Warrior. Diomedes was one of the Greeks who had a spot in the famous Trojan Horse along with Odysseus, Menelaus and Neoptolemus. Schol. [41] Ovid, on the other hand, writes that Venulus came to the home of exiled Diomedes in vain, but he was erecting walls with the favour of Iapygian Daunus, his new father-in-law, which would make the city Luceria, not Argyrippa.[42]. Bury, Pindar: Nemean Odes (Amsterdam: Adolf M. Hakkert, 1965), 199. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Diomedes&oldid=1149479137, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles having different image on Wikidata and Wikipedia, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2016, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Download Full Size Image. Some say that Diomedes was robbed of the palladium by Demophon in Attica, where he landed one night on his return from Troy, without knowing where he was. Diomedes follows Homeric tradition closely and having absolute faith on the superiority of fate, he predicts the conclusion of Achilles' efforts to go against fate. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/diomedes-116696. Diomedes is said to have sailed away without the least acknowledgment of the girl's kindly deed, whereupon she killed herself, out of grief, with a halter. Pandarus is killed and Aeneas is left to fight Diomedes (now unarmed). Ilioneus begged "Oh compassionate my suppliant hands! It has been conjectured that Diomedes is an ancient Pelasgian name of some divinity, who was afterwards confounded with the hero Diomedes, so that the worship of the god was transferred to the hero.42, According to Antonius Liberalis, his son by Euippe, the daughter of Daunus, is also called Diomedes.43, Diomedes, the son of Tydeus, is portrayed on many Greek vases in scenes related to the Iliad, such as a Chalcidian amphora (ca. [33], The Palamedes affair haunted several Achaean Leaders including Diomedes. In Homer's 'The Iliad,' Odysseus stands out, but not because he is a main character. That being so, upon returning home to Argos, Diomedes ascended to the throne. In Shakespeare's play of that title, Diomedes is often seen fighting Troilus over her. In Italy Diomedes gave up his hostility against the Trojans, and even assisted them against Turnus.36 He died in Daunia at an advanced age, and was buried in one of the islands off cape Garganus, which were called after him the Diomedean islands. 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. They took the spoils and set them upon a tamarisk tree in honour of Athena. Achaean council Book IX. vi. Meanwhile, Odysseus gathered the team of Rhesus horses. 1. Apart from his outstanding fighting abilities and courage, Diomedes is on several crucial occasions shown to possess great wisdom, which is acknowledged and respected by his much older comrades, including Agamemnon and Nestor. 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. 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. [29] According to another tradition, the Palladium failed to bring Diomedes any luck due to the unrighteous way he obtained it. [43] His armour 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. 283, 284; Plin. His father, Tydeus, had participated in the seven against Thebes expedition. Nestor agrees with Diomedes, tells the soldiers to take their meal, and calls a meeting of the captains to devise a plan. Next, he fought with great Ajax in an armed sparring contest where the winner was to draw blood first. Greek Epic Fragments, 123. Adrastos promised to do so and set out to gather an expeditionary force with which to march against Thebes. 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 . She has been featured by NPR and National Geographic for her ancient history expertise. Cunning Diomedes only gave away a bronze armour for the golden one he received. 166, iii. Or, as the Latin writers call him, Ulysses, Ulyxes or Ulixes, one of the principal Greek heroes in the Trojan war. Since he has to carry out Athena's order, he orders Sthenelus to steal the horses while he faces Aphrodite's son. 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. Like Dido when Aeneas sailed away, Callirrhoe then committed suicide. According to Dolon, Hector and the other councilors were holding conference by the monument of great Ilus, away from the general tumult. In the Iliad, he dominates Book V with his military virtue and he is important throughout. They strengthened their initial forces with contingents from Messenia, Arcadia, Corinth, and Megara. Diomedes then became the owner of the second best pair of horses (after Achilles immortal ones) among Achaeans. 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. Telamonian Ajax ("The Greater"), however, is the volunteer who eventually fights Hector. Diomedes was four years old when his father was killed. Diomedes is the king of Argos and one of the generals in the Trojan War. In the account of Dares the Phrygian, Diomedes was illustrated as ". This brush with death stuns Hector and forces him to retreat. Dropping her son, the goddess flees towards Olympus. Diomedes then reminds him of the previous insult and tells him that his behavior is not proper for a leader. Diomedes threw his spear over Dolon's shoulders and ordered him to stop. Of all the Heros of the Iliad, only Diomedes fights the gods, and he and Meneclause were offered the opportunity to live forever. She was, however, no match for Achilles, who killed her. It was a favorite topic for epics, but, all of these epics are now lost. This speech signifies the nature of Homeric tradition where fate and divine interventions have superiority over human choices. [27] (The incident was commemorated in 1842 by the French sculptor Pierre-Jules Cavelier in a muscle-bound plaster statue). Diomedes then prays to Athena for the slaughter of Pandarus. Some scholars claim that this part of the epic was originally a separate, independent poem (describing the feats of Diomedes) that Homer adapted and included in the Iliad. For other uses, see. This is the longest aristeia in the epic. 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. They had to return empty handed; Achilles had told them that he will leave Troy and never return. According to the Little Iliad, on the way to the ships, Odysseus plotted to kill Diomedes and claim the Palladium (or perhaps the credit for gaining it) for himself. Once, he was even granted divine vision in order to identify immortals. Diomedes ruled Argos for more than five years and brought much wealth and stability to the city during his time. In the Achaean council, Diomedes was the first one to speak: "Let there be no taking, neither treasure, nor yet Helen, for even a child may see that the doom of the Trojans is at hand." This was another bonus of the night mission. The son of Tydeus explained "If another will go with me, I could do this in greater confidence and comfort. Since the other Achaeans suffered during their respective 'nostoi' (Returns) because they committed an atrocity of some kind, Diomedes' safe nostos implies that he had the favour of the gods during his journey. Trojans now encircle Odysseus, left to fight alone. The Story of the Grateful Wolf and Venetic Horses in Strabos, This page was last edited on 12 April 2023, at 14:13. [17] Diomedes' aristeia represents many of his heroic virtues such as outstanding fighting skills, bravery, divine protection/advice, carefully planned tactics of war, leadership, humility and self-restraint. He was Odysseus's brother in arms and aided him in his exploit to retrieve the Palladium from within the walls of Troy. Unable to find the murderers, Diomedes founded a mythical city called "Oenoe" at the place where his grandfather was buried to honour his death. Odysseus' words hinted that he actually did not wish to be selected. He continues to make havoc among the Trojans by killing Astynous, Hypeiron, Abas, Polyidus, Xanthus, Thoon, Echemmon and Chromius (two sons of Priam). Diomedes also encourages Agamemnon to take the lead of next day's battle. Meanwhile, one brave Trojan named Glaucus challenged the son of Tydeus to a single combat. Athena, of course, did not grant it. So we all know Odysseus and Diomedes as the murderous dynamic duo from the Illiad. Translated by Horace Leonard Jones. 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). This army, however, was still small compared to that of Thebes. 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. He is a frequent companion to Odysseus, who later becomes the brains to his brawn.1 His eagerness for violence and frequent collaboration with Odysseus are his two most outstanding characteristics in the Iliad and Epic Cycle. Beholding this, Diomedes and Odysseus continued to fight with a lot of valor, giving hope to the Achaeans. Therefore, he gave it back to his enemy, Aeneas.[30]. He states that when he found Diomedes, he was laying the foundations of his new city, Argyrippa. He himself was subsequently worshiped as a divine being, especially in Italy, where statues of him existed at Argyripa, Metapontum, Thurii, and other places.41, There are traces in Greece also of the worship of Diomedes, for it is said that he was placed among the gods together with the Dioscuri, and that Athena conferred upon him the immortality which had been intended for his father Tydeus. 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. Daunus, the king of the country, received him kindly, and solicited his assistance in a war against the Messapians. According to some, he brought it to Argos where it remained until Ergiaeus, one of his descendants, took it away with the assistance of the Laconian Leagrus, who conveyed it to Sparta. According to Quintus Smyrnaeus, the Achaean leaders agreed to the boon of returning her body to the Trojans for her funeral pyre. Meanwhile, Diomedes ran towards Hector to get his spear. 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. [36], Diomedes later married Daunus's daughter Euippe and had two sons named Diomedes and Amphinomus. But if I lay my hands on you and take your life, you will never be a nuisance to the Argives again." Some say that, after the sack of Troy, Diomedes came to Libya (due to a storm), where he was put in prison by King Lycus (who planned on sacrificing him to Ares). He took his land which he assigned to the Dorians, his followers. Robert Parker, On Greek Religion (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2011): 245. When he died, it passed to Diomedes. Another version (Virgil and Servius) says that Rhesus was given an oracle that claims he will be invincible after he and his horses drink from the Scamander. This article incorporates text from Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) by William Smith, which is in the public domain. Earlier in his life, Diomedes had taken part in the second generation expedition against Thebes, making him one of the epigoni. Diomedes realized that his grandfather Oeneus hosted Bellerophon, and so Diomedes and Glaucus must also be friends. He thus wounded Aphrodite and drove her from the field of battle,7 and Ares himself was likewise wounded by him.8, Diomedes was wounded by Pandareus, whom, however, he afterwards slew with many other Trojans.9 In the attack of the Trojans on the Greek camp, he and Odysseus offered a brave resistance, but Diomedes was wounded and returned to the ships.10 He wore a cuirass made by Hephaestus, but sometimes also a lion's skin.11 At the funeral games of Patroclus he conquered in the chariot-race, and received a woman and a tripod as his prize.12 He also conquered the Telamonian Ajax in single combat, and won the sword which Achilles had offered as the prize.13 He is described in the Iliad in general as brave in war and wise in council,14 in battle furious like a mountain torrent, and the terror of the Trojans, whom he chases before him, as a lion chases goats.15 He is strong like a god,16 and the Trojan women during their sacrifice to Athena pray to her to break his spear and to make him fall.17 He himself knows no fear, and refuses his consent when Agamemnon proposes to take to flight, and he declares that, if all flee, he and his friend Sthenelus will stay and fight till Troy shall fall.18, The story of Diomedes, like those of other heroes of the Trojan time, has received various additions and embellishments from the hands of later writers, of which we shall notice the principal ones. A son of Tydeus and Deipyle, the husband of Aegiale, and the successor of Adrastus in the kingdom of Argos, though he was descended from an Aetolian family.1, The Homeric tradition about him is as follows: His father Tydeus fell in the expedition against Thebes, while Diomedes was yet a boy;2 but he himself afterwards was one of the Epigoni who took Thebes.3 Diomedes went to Troy with Sthenelus and Euryalus, carrying with him in eighty ships warriors from Argos, Tiryns, Hermione, Asine, Troezen, Eionae, Epidaurus, Aegina, and Mases.4 In the army of the Greeks before Troy, Diomedes was, next to Achilles, the bravest among the heroes; and, like Achilles and Odysseus, he enjoyed the special protection of Athena, who assisted him in all dangerous moments.5 He fought with the most distinguished among the Trojans, such as Hector and Aeneas,6 and even with the gods who espoused the cause of the Trojans. Strabo, Geography 5.1.9. Diomedes was, on his father's side, an Aetolian, and on his mother's an Argive. Ajax attacked Diomedes where his armour covered his body and achieved no success. [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). Corrections? When the envoys returned, Diomedes criticized Nestor's decision and Achilles' pride saying that Achilles personal choice of leaving Troy is of no importance (therefore, trying to change it with gifts is useless). Hera saw the havoc created by her son and together with Athena, she came to the Achaeans' aid. Diomedes' grandfather was Adrastus, king of Argos, whom Diomedes succeeded on the throne. He was the favorite warrior of Athena (who even drove his chariot once). The other Achaean leaders disagreed because Ajax himself clung to the same statue of Athena in order to save himself. "Little Iliad" argument 4. Translated by Horace Leonard Jones.
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