76 Facts About Diomedes

Diomedes was born to Tydeus and Deipyle and later became King of Argos, succeeding his maternal grandfather, Adrastus.

In Homer's Iliad Diomedes is regarded alongside Ajax the Great and Agamemnon, after Achilles, as one of the best warriors of all the Achaeans in prowess.

Subsequently, Diomedes founded ten or more Italian cities and, after his death, was worshipped as a divine being under various names in both Italy and Greece.

Diomedes was loud at the war-cry, hot-tempered, impatient, and daring.

Diomedes was, on his father's side, an Aetolian, and on his mother's an Argive.

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Diomedes had been exiled from his homeland for killing his relatives, either his cousins or his paternal uncles.

Diomedes was a skilled politician and was greatly respected by other rulers.

Diomedes attacked and seized the kingdom, slaying all the traitors except Thersites, Onchestus and Agrius (who killed himself) restoring his grandfather to the throne.

Diomedes was assassinated on the way by Thersites and Onchestus.

Unable to find the murderers, Diomedes founded a mythical city called "Oenoe" at the place where his grandfather was buried to honour his death.

If, in fact, Helen ruled Sparta with her husband Menelaus for ten years before her abduction, Diomedes would have still been a child at the time of their marriage and thus a very unlikely suitor.

Second only to Achilles, Diomedes is considered to be the mightiest and the most skilled warrior among the Achaeans.

Diomedes was overwhelming Telamonian Ajax in an armed sparring contest when the watching Achaeans bade the men to stop and take equal prizes because they feared for Ajax's life.

Diomedes is regarded as the perfect embodiment of traditional heroic values.

Diomedes's character helps to establish one of the main themes of the epic: how human choices and efforts become insignificant when fate and immortals are in control.

Diomedes follows Homeric tradition closely and having absolute faith on the superiority of fate, he predicts the conclusion of Achilles' efforts to go against fate.

Apart from his outstanding fighting abilities and courage, Diomedes is on several crucial occasions shown to possess great wisdom, which is acknowledged and respected by his much older comrades, including Agamemnon and Nestor.

Diomedes' aristeia begins in Book V and continues in Book VI.

Diomedes's makes a stream of fire flare from his shield and helmet.

Diomedes then prays to Athena for the slaughter of Pandarus.

Diomedes's responds by offering him a special vision to distinguish gods from men and asks him to wound Aphrodite if she ever comes to battle.

Diomedes continues to make havoc among the Trojans by killing Astynous, Hypeiron, Abas, Polyidus, Xanthus, Thoon, Echemmon and Chromius.

Diomedes then became the owner of the second best pair of horses among Achaeans.

Diomedes replied "Goddess, I know you truly and will not hide anything from you.

Diomedes's put on the helmet of Hades, making her invisible to even gods.

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Diomedes's promised the sacrifice of twelve heifers if Athena could take pity on them and break the spear of Diomedes.

Diomedes realized that his grandfather Oeneus hosted Bellerophon, and so Diomedes and Glaucus must be friends.

Cunning Diomedes only gave away a bronze armour for the golden one he received.

Diomedes was among the nine Achaean warriors who came forward to fight Hector in a single combat.

Diomedes made the Trojans stronger so they could drive away the Achaeans from battle.

Diomedes took his mighty Thunderbolt and shot its lightning in front of Diomedes' chariot.

Nestor advised Diomedes to turn back since no person should try to transgress Zeus' will.

Diomedes answered, "Hector will talk among the Trojans and say, 'The son of Tydeus fled before me to the ships.

Diomedes thought three times of turning back and fighting Hector, but Zeus thundered from heaven each time.

Diomedes was the first warrior to read this omen, and he immediately attacked the Trojans and killed Agelaus.

In spite of careful watch, Diomedes managed to launch an attack upon the sleeping Trojans.

Diomedes pointed out that this behavior was inappropriate for a leader like Agamemnon.

Diomedes declared that he will never leave the city unvanquished for the gods were originally with them.

Diomedes believed that Troy was fated to fall and had absolute and unconditional faith in victory.

Diomedes then criticized Diomedes for not making any positive proposal to replace Agamemnon's opinion – a failure which Nestor ascribed to his youth.

Diomedes threatened to leave Troy, never to return believing that this choice will enable him to live a long life.

Diomedes said, "Let Achilles stay or leave if he wishes to, but he will fight when the time comes.

Diomedes threw his spear over Dolon's shoulders and ordered him to stop.

Diomedes immediately threw his spear at Hector, aiming for his head.

Diomedes won the first prize – "a woman skilled in all useful arts, and a three-legged cauldron".

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So, Diomedes maneuvered his spear above Ajax's shield and attacked his neck, drawing blood.

For example, although both Odysseus and Diomedes were favorites of the goddess Athena, Odysseus prayed for help even before the start the above footrace, whereas Diomedes received Athena's help without having to ask.

Diomedes wanted to avenge Thersites, but the other leaders persuaded the two mightiest Achaean warriors against fighting each other.

Odysseus, some say, went by night to Troy, and leaving Diomedes waiting, disguised himself and entered the city as a beggar.

Diomedes then climbed the wall of Troy and entered the city.

Diomedes is generally regarded as the person who physically removed the Palladium and carried it away to the ships.

Diomedes was alerted to the danger by glimpsing the gleam of the sword in the moonlight.

Diomedes turned round, seized the sword of Odysseus, tied his hands, and drove him along in front, beating his back with the flat of his sword.

From this action was said to have arisen the Greek proverbial expression “Diomedes' necessity", applied to those who act contrary to their inclination for the greater good.

Some say that Diomedes was robbed of the palladium by Demophon in Attica, where he landed one night on his return from Troy, without knowing where he was.

Diomedes was informed by an oracle, that he should be exposed to unceasing sufferings unless he restored the sacred image to the Trojans.

Diomedes is one of the few Achaean commanders to return home safely, arriving in Argos only four days after his departure from Troy.

Diomedes then migrated to Aetolia, and thence to Daunia in Italy.

Diomedes went to the court of King Daunus, King of the Daunians.

Diomedes begged Diomedes for help in warring against the Messapians, for a share of the land and marriage to his daughter.

Diomedes agreed to the proposal, drew up his men and routed the Messapians.

Diomedes took his land which he assigned to the Dorians, his followers.

Diomedes later married Daunus's daughter Euippe and had two sons named Diomedes and Amphinomus.

Some say that, after the sack of Troy, Diomedes came to Libya, where he was put in prison by King Lycus (who planned on sacrificing him to Ares).

Diomedes is said to have sailed away, without the least acknowledgment of the girl's kindly deed, whereupon she killed herself, out of grief, with a halter.

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Diomedes told them he had fought enough Trojans in his lifetime and urged Turnus that it was best to make peace with Aeneas than to fight the Trojans.

Diomedes said that his purpose in Italy is to live in peace.

Diomedes eventually speaks and states that, as punishment for his involvement at Troy, he never reached his fatherland of Argos and that he never saw his beloved wife again.

Diomedes's armour was preserved in a temple of Athena at Luceria in Apulia, and a gold chain of his was shown in a temple of Artemis in Peucetia.

Diomedes' cults were situated predominantly in Cyprus, Metapontum, and other cities on the coast of the Adriatic sea.

Diomedes was worshipped as a hero not only in Greece, but on the coast of the Adriatic, as at Thurii and Metapontum.

For one, he claims that at the city of Urium, Diomedes was making a canal to the sea when he was summoned home to Argos.

Diomedes left the city and his undertakings half-finished and went home where he died.

The fourth tradition comes from the Heneti, who claim Diomedes stayed in their country and eventually had a mysterious apotheosis.

Diomedes was worshipped as a divine being under various names in Italy where statues of him existed at Argyripa, Metapontum, Thurii, and other places.

Diomedes plays an important role in the medieval legend of Troilus and Cressida, in which he becomes the girl's new lover when she is sent to the Greek camp to join her traitorous father.