whereon the pain left her, and her hand was healed. But Minerva
and Juno, who were looking on, began to taunt Jove with their mocking
talk, and Minerva was first to speak. "Father Jove," said she, "do not
be angry with me, but I think the Cyprian must have been persuading
some one of the Achaean women to go with the Trojans of whom she is so
very fond, and while caressing one or other of them she must have torn
her delicate hand with the gold pin of the woman's brooch."

The sire of gods and men smiled, and called golden Venus to his side.
"My child," said he, "it has not been given you to be a warrior.
Attend, henceforth, to your own delightful matrimonial duties, and
leave all this fighting to Mars and to Minerva."

Thus did they converse. But Diomed sprang upon Aeneas, though he knew
him to be in the very arms of Apollo. Not one whit did he fear the
mighty god, so set was he on killing Aeneas and stripping him of his
armour. Thrice did he spring forward with might and main to slay him,
and thrice did Apollo beat back his gleaming shield. When he was coming
on for the fourth time, as though he were a god, Apollo shouted to him
with an awful voice and said, "Take heed, son of Tydeus, and draw off;
think not to match yourself against gods, for men that walk the earth
cannot hold their own with the immortals."

The son of Tydeus then gave way for a little space, to avoid the anger
of the god, while Apollo took Aeneas out of the crowd and set him in
sacred Pergamus, where his temple stood. There, within the mighty
sanctuary, Latona and Diana healed him and made him glorious to behold,
while Apollo of the silver bow fashioned a wraith in the likeness of
Aeneas, and armed as he was. Round this the Trojans and Achaeans hacked
at the bucklers about one another's breasts, hewing each other's round
shields and light hide-covered targets. Then Phoebus Apollo said to
Mars, "Mars, Mars, bane of men, blood-stained stormer of cities, can
you not go to this man, the son of Tydeus, who would now fight even
with father Jove, and draw him out of the battle? He first went up to
the Cyprian and wounded her in the hand near her wrist, and afterwards
sprang upon me too, as though he were a god."

He then took his seat on the top of Pergamus, while murderous Mars went
about among the ranks of the Trojans, cheering them on, in the likeness
of fleet Acamas chief of the Thracians. "Sons of Priam," said he, "how
long will you let your people