Venus with the cruel steel, 212 knowing that she was an unwarlike goddess, nor [one] of those goddesses who administer the war of men, neither Minerva, nor city-destroying Bellona. But when he had now overtaken her, having pursued her through a great crowd, then the son of magnanimous Tydeus, having stretched forward, wounded the feeble [goddess] in the extremity of the hand, bounding on with the sharp brass. Instantly the spear pierced through the skin, through her ambrosial robe (which the Graces themselves had wrought), at the extremity [of the hand] above the palm. Immortal blood flowed from the goddess, ichor, such, to wit, as flows from the blessed gods. For they eat not bread, nor drink dark wine; therefore are they bloodless, and are called immortal. But she screaming aloud, cast her son from her: and him Phoebus Apollo rescued in his hands in a sable cloud, lest any of the swift-horsed Greeks, casting the steel into his breast, should take away his life. But warlike Diomede shouted loudly after her:
Footnote 211: (return) Cf. Theocrit. i. 105: Ού λέγεται τὰν Κύπριν ὸ βουκόλος, ἕρπε ποτ' Ἰδὰν, Ἔρπε ποτ' Ἀγχίσαν. See Hymn, in Vener. 54, sqq.; and Grote, Hist. of Greece, vol. i. p. 73.
Footnote 212: (return) It is well known that these battles and woundings of the gods gave so much scandal to Plato, that he wished to cast Homer out of his republic, much to the indignation of Heraclides Ponticus, Alleg. Hom. p. 511. The fathers of the early church made no small use of Plato's opinion on this head. Cf. Euseb. P. E. ii. 10; Tertull. Apol. § xiv.; Augustin, C. D. ii. 14; Minucius Felix, 22; who all make use of his testimony as an argument against Paganism. See Coleridge, Classic Poets, p. 64.
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