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Wed. March 13

The influence of the gods is further shown in their coucil on Mt. Olympus, as they debate and connive, just as humans would, to break the truce between the Greeks and Trojans. Men are shown to be pawns for the sport of the immortals. Athena persuades Pandarus to shoot an arrow at Menelaus, and the battle begins. Agamemnon and Nestor are praised for their generalship, suggesting, I think, that only in war are men given the ultimate opportunity to attain excellence. However, many are slain on both sides. Intense individual battle, blood, gore, and mayhem. The fury and glory of a short life. The next several episodes, through Book VII, all occur on the same day, so the action has become much condensed. 

Book V recounts the acts of the Greek hero, Diomedes, who Athena aids, allowing him to distinguish gods from men, for the gods are actually fighting in the battle. She forbids him from fighting with immortals. He kills Pandarus, stemming the Trojan advance, and wounds Aeneas (hero of Virgil’s Aeneaid) who is rescued by his mother, Aphrodite, goddess of love, but Diomedes wounds her in the hand. Ares, the god of war, then enters the battle and rallies Hector and the Trojans, but even he is wounded by Diomedes, and must retreat to Olympus. Diomedes is rash, perhaps, but seems to strike a blow for humanity and free will.

The battle rages back and forth, and even with the involvement of the gods (who it seems are capable of being wounded, though not killed) the outcome seems uncertain.