Provided by The Internet Classics Archive. See bottom for copyright ...

"Diomed, son of Tydeus," replied Minerva, "man after my own heart,
fear neither Mars nor any other of the immortals, for I will befriend
you. Nay, drive straight at Mars, and smite him in close combat; fear
not this raging madman, villain incarnate, first on one side and then
on the other. But now he was holding talk with Juno and myself, saying
he would help the Argives and attack the Trojans; nevertheless he
is with the Trojans, and has forgotten the Argives."
With this she caught hold of Sthenelus and lifted him off the chariot
on to the ground. In a second he was on the ground, whereupon the
goddess mounted the car and placed herself by the side of Diomed.
The oaken axle groaned aloud under the burden of the awful goddess
and the hero; Pallas Minerva took the whip and reins, and drove straight
at Mars. He was in the act of stripping huge Periphas, son of Ochesius
and bravest of the Aetolians. Bloody Mars was stripping him of his
armour, and Minerva donned the helmet of Hades, that he might not
see her; when, therefore, he saw Diomed, he made straight for him
and let Periphas lie where he had fallen. As soon as they were at
close quarters he let fly with his bronze spear over the reins and
yoke, thinking to take Diomed's life, but Minerva caught the spear
in her hand and made it fly harmlessly over the chariot. Diomed then
threw, and Pallas Minerva drove the spear into the pit of Mars's stomach
where his under-­‐girdle went round him. There Diomed wounded him, tearing
his fair flesh and then drawing his spear out again. Mars roared as
loudly as nine or ten thousand men in the thick of a fight, and the
Achaeans and Trojans were struck with panic, so terrible was the cry
he raised.