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lest some Danaan should drive a spear into his breast and kill him;<br />

and Diomed shouted out as he left her, "Daughter of Jove, leave war<br />

and battle alone, can you not be contented with beguiling silly women?<br />

If you meddle with fighting you will get what will make you shudder<br />

at the very name of war."<br />

<strong>The</strong> goddess went dazed and discomfited away, and Iris, fleet as the<br />

wind, drew her from the throng, in pain and with her fair skin all<br />

besmirched. She found fierce Mars waiting on the left of the battle,<br />

with his spear and his two fleet steeds resting on a cloud; whereon<br />

she fell on her knees be<strong>for</strong>e her brother and implored him to let her<br />

have his horses. "Dear brother," she cried, "save me, and give me<br />

your horses to take me to Olympus where the gods dwell. I am badly<br />

wounded <strong>by</strong> a mortal, the son of Tydeus, who would now fight even with<br />

father Jove."<br />

Thus she spoke, and Mars gave her his gold-­‐bedizened steeds. She mounted<br />

the chariot sick and sorry at heart, while Iris sat beside her and<br />

took the reins in her hand. She lashed her horses on and they flew<br />

<strong>for</strong>ward nothing loth, till in a trice they were at high Olympus, where<br />

the gods have their dwelling. <strong>The</strong>re she stayed them, unloosed them<br />

from the chariot, and gave them their ambrosial <strong>for</strong>age; but Venus<br />

flung herself on to the lap of her mother Dione, who threw her arms<br />

about her and caressed her, saying, "Which of the heavenly beings<br />

has been treating you in this way, as though you had been doing something<br />

wrong in the face of day?"<br />

And laughter-­‐loving Venus answered, "Proud Diomed, the son of Tydeus,

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