But Aeneas was ware of him as he made havoc of the ranks of warriors, and went his way along the battle amid the hurtling of the spears in quest of godlike Pandarus, if so be he might anywhere find him. He found the son of Lycaon, goodly and valiant, and took his stand before his face, and spake to him, saying: Pandarus, where now are thy bow and thy winged arrows, and thy fame? Therein may no man of this land vie with thee, nor any in Lycia declare himself to be better than thou. Come now, lift up thy hands in prayer to Zeus, and let fly a shaft at this man, whoe'er he be that prevaileth thus, and hath verily wrought the Trojans much mischief, seeing he hath loosed the knees of many men and goodly; if indeed he be not some god that is wroth with the Trojans, angered by reason of sacrifices; with grievous weight doth the wrath of god rest upon men. To him then spake the glorious son of Lycaon: Aeneas, counsellor of the brazen-coated Trojans, to the wise-hearted son of Tydeus do I liken him in all things, knowing him by his shield and his crested helm, and when I look on his horses; yet I know not surely if he be not a god.
But if he be the man I deem him, even the wise-hearted son of Tydeus, not without the aid of some god doth he thus rage, but one of the immortals standeth hard by him, his shoulders wrapped in cloud, and turned aside from him my swift shaft even as it lighted. For already have I let fly a shaft at him, and I smote him upon the right shoulder clean through the plate of his corselet; and I deemed that I should send him forth to Aïdoneus, yet I subdued him not; verily he is some wrathful god. And horses have I not at hand, neither car whereon I might mount—yet in Lycaon's halls, I ween, there be eleven fair chariots, new-wrought, new-furnished, with cloths spread over them; and by each standeth its yoke of horses feeding on white barley and spelt. Aye, and as I set out hither the old spearman Lycaon straitly charged me in our well-built house: he bade me be mounted on horse and car, and so lead the Trojans in mighty conflicts. Howbeit I hearkened not— verily it had been better far!—but spared the horses lest in the multitude of men they should lack fodder, they that were wont to eat their fill.
So I left them, and am come on foot to Ilios, trusting in my bow; but this, meseems, was to avail me not. Already have I let fly a shaft at two chieftains, the son of Tydeus and Atreus' son, and smitten them fairly, and from them both of a surety I drew forth blood, yet did I but arouse them the more. Wherefore with ill hap was it that I took from the peg my curved bow on that day when I led my Trojans to lovely Ilios to do pleasure to Hector. But if so be I shall return and behold with mine eyes my native land and my wife and great, high-roofed palace, then may some alien forthwith cut my head from me, if I break not this bow with my hands and cast it into the blazing fire; for worthless as wind doth it attend me. To him then spake in answer Aeneas, leader of the Trojans: Nay, speak not thus; things shall in no wise be any better before that we twain with horses and chariot go to face this man and make trial of him in arms. Nay, come, mount upon my car, that thou mayest see of what sort are the horses of Tros, well skilled to course fleetly hither and thither over the plain whether in pursuit or in flight. They twain will bring the two of us safely to the city, if again Zeus shall vouchsafe glory to Tydeus' son Diomedes.
Come, therefore, take thou now the lash and the shining reins, and I will dismount to fight; or else do thou await his onset, and I will look to the horses. Then made answer to him the glorious son of Lycaon: Aeneas, keep thou the reins thyself, and drive thine own horses; better will they draw the curved car under their wonted charioteer, if so be we must flee from the son of Tydeus. I would not that they take fright and run wild, and for want of thy voice be not minded to bear us forth from the battle, and so the son of great-souled Tydeus leap upon us and slay the two of us, and drive off the single-hooved horses. Nay, drive thou thyself thine own car and thine own horses, and I will abide this man's onset with my sharp spear. So saying they mounted upon the inlaid car and eagerly drave the swift horses against the son of Tydeus. And Sthenelus, the glorious son of Capaneus, saw them and straightway spake to Tydeus' son winged words: Diomedes, son of Tydeus, dear to my heart, I behold two valiant warriors eager to fight against thee, endued with measureless strength. The one is well skilled with the bow, even Pandarus, and moreover avoweth him to be the son of Lycaon; while Aeneas avoweth himself to be born of peerless Anchises, and his mother is Aphrodite.
Nay, come, let us give ground on the car, neither rage thou thus, I pray thee, amid the foremost fighters, lest thou haply lose thy life. Then with an angry glance from beneath his brows mighty Diomedes spake to him: Talk not thou to me of flight, for I deem thou wilt not persuade me. Not in my blood is it to fight a skulking fight or to cower down; still is my strength steadfast. And I have no mind to mount upon a car, but even as I am will I go to face them; that I should quail Pallas Athene suffereth not. As for these twain, their swift horses shall not bear both back from us again, even if one or the other escape. And another thing will I tell thee, and do thou lay it to heart. If so be Athene, rich in counsel, shall vouchsafe me this glory, to slay them both, then do thou hold here these swift horses, binding the reins taut to the chariot rim; but be mindful to rush upon the horses of Aeneas and drive them forth from the Trojans to the host of the well-greaved Achaeans. For they are of that stock wherefrom Zeus, whose voice is borne afar, gave to Tros recompense for his son Ganymedes, for that they were the best of all horses that are beneath the dawn and the sun. Of this stock the king of men Anchises stole a breed, putting his mares to them while Laomedon knew naught thereof.
And from these a stock of six was born him in his palace; four he kept himself and reared at the stall, and the other two he gave to Aeneas, devisers of rout. Could we but take these twain, we should win us goodly renown. Thus they spake on this wise one to the other, and forthwith drew near those other twain, driving the swift horses. And Lycaon's glorious son spake first to him, saying: Thou son of lordly Tydeus, stalwart and wise of heart, verily my swift shaft subdued thee not, the bitter arrow; now will I again make trial of thee with my spear, if so be I may hit thee. So saying, he poised and hurled his far-shadowing spear, and smote upon the shield of Tydeus' son; and straight therethrough sped the point of bronze and reached the corselet. Then over him shouted aloud the glorious son of Lycaon: Thou art smitten clean through the belly, and not for long, methinks, shalt thou endure; but to me hast thou granted great glory. Then with no touch of fear spake to him mighty Diomedes: Thou hast missed and not hit; but ye twain, I deem, shall not cease till one or the other of you shall have fallen and glutted with his blood Ares, the warrior with tough shield of hide. So spake he and hurled; and Athene guided the spear upon his nose beside the eye, and it pierced through his white teeth. So the stubborn bronze shore off his tongue at its root, and the spear-point came out by the base of the chin. Then he fell from out the car, and his armour all bright and flashing clanged upon him, and the swift-footed horses swerved aside; and there his spirit and his strength were undone.
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