τὴν δ' ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη κρατερὸς Διομήδης:
γιγνώσκω σε θεὰ θύγατερ Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο:
τῶ τοι προφρονέως ἐρέω ἔπος, οὐδ' ἐπικεύσω:
οὔτέ τι με δεός ἴ̈σχει ἀκήριον. οὔτέ τις ὄκνος:
ἀλλ´' ἔτί, σῶν μέμνημαι ἐφετμέων. ἃς, ἐπέτειλας:
οὔ μ' εἴᾱς μακάρεσσι θεοῖς ἀντικρὺ μάχεσθαι
τοῖς ἄλλοις: ἀτὰρ εἴ κε Διὸς θυγάτηρ Ἀφροδίτη
ἔλθῃσ' ἐς πόλεμον τήν γ' οὐτάμεν ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ.
τούνεκα νῦν αὐτός τ' ἀναχάζομαι: ἠδὲ καὶ ἄλλους
Ἀργείους ἐκέλευσα, ἀλήμεναι ἐνθάδε πάντας.
γῑνώσκω γὰρ Ἄρηα μάχην ἀνὰκοιρανέοντα:
Then in answer to her spake mighty Diomedes: "I know thee, daughter of Zeus that beareth the aegis; therefore with a ready heart will I tell thee my thought and hide it not. In no wise doth spiritless terror possess me nor any slackness, but I am still mindful of thy behest which thou didst lay upon me. Thou wouldest not suffer me to fight face to face with the other blessed gods, but if Aphrodite the daughter of Zeus should enter the battle, her thou badest me smite with the sharp bronze. Therefore it is that I now give ground myself and have given command to all the rest of the Argives to be gathered here likewise; for I discern Ares lording it over the battle-field."
