‘Zeus himself fighteth against thee, Diomedes!’ cried Nestor. ‘Let us flee, for no man is so great in might that he can fight against the will of Zeus.’
‘Thou speakest truth, old man,’ said Diomedes, ‘yet sore grief it is to my heart to think that some day the boast of Hector may be, “To his ships fled Diomedes, driven before me.” May the earth swallow me up on that day!’
‘Hector may call thee coward,’ said Nestor, ‘yet no son of Troy will believe him, nor any of the widows of these men whom thou hast slain.’
Then did Nestor wheel the horses and flee, while thick the spears and darts from the Trojan host followed him.
And above the din of battle rose the voice of Hector:
‘Behold the hero of the Greeks! Hero no longer art thou! Begone, feeble girl! poor puppet!’
Furiously did Diomedes listen to his taunts, and fain would he have turned back and tried to slay him. But three times did Zeus send peals of his thunder rolling down from the mountain-top, and to the Trojans was it a sign of victory, and fear did it send into the hearts of the Greeks.
Then did Hector call on his men to be of good courage, for with them fought Zeus, the Thunderer. And to his horses he called:
‘On, now, Bayard, and Whitefoot, and Flame of Fire, and Brilliant! Forget not how Andromache hath cared for and tended you! Make haste that we may seize from old Nestor his shield of gold, and strip Diomedes of his gorgeous breastplate!’
Onward, then, dashed his chariot, while the Trojans followed him, driving the Greeks in headlong flight before them. Soon had the Greek ships been burned and the long war ended, had not Hera put it into the heart of Agamemnon to arouse the Greeks and force them on to battle.