Iliad by Homer - Join iZDOT

Homer’s Iliad
do anything to save the Trojans from destruction, not even when all
Troy is burning in the flames which the Achaeans will kindle.”
As soon as Juno heard this she said to her son Vulcan, “Son Vulcan,
hold now your flames; we ought not to use such violence against a
god for the sake of mortals.”
When she had thus spoken Vulcan quenched his flames, and the
river went back once more into his own fair bed.
Xanthus was now beaten, so these two left off fighting, for Juno
stayed them though she was still angry; but a furious quarrel broke
out among the other gods, for they were of divided counsels. They
fell on one another with a mighty uproar- earth groaned, and the
spacious firmament rang out as with a blare of trumpets. Jove
heard as he was sitting on Olympus, and laughed for joy when he
saw the gods coming to blows among themselves. They were not
long about beginning, and Mars piercer of shields opened the
battle. Sword in hand he sprang at once upon Minerva and reviled
her. “Why, vixen,” said he, “have you again set the gods by the ears
in the pride and haughtiness of your heart? Have you forgotten
how you set Diomed son of Tydeus on to wound me, and yourself
took visible spear and drove it into me to the hurt of my fair body?
You shall now suffer for what you then did to me.”
As he spoke he struck her on the terrible tasselled aegis- so terrible
that not even can Jove’s lightning pierce it. Here did murderous
Mars strike her with his great spear. She drew back and with her
strong hand seized a stone that was lying on the plain- great and
rugged and black- which men of old had set for the boundary of a
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