Today is Diomedes’ day. Today, a man fights the gods.
The Iliad · B2+
Book Five: The Glory of Diomedes
Tell from, allow to, too… to, prevent from, give way, the first time + present perfect, participle clauses, mistake for, succeed in and a ten-year war: B2+ grammar for the day a man fought the gods.
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SOPHIA
MARCOS
Agamemnon said his father was better. Let’s see.
The story
After Homer’s Iliad, Book Five
Athena filled Diomedes with strength and made fire blaze from his helmet. When Pandarus wounded him with an arrow, he prayed, and Athena healed him and cleared the mist from his eyes, so that he could tell gods from men. She allowed him to fight only one god: Aphrodite.
He killed Pandarus, and then picked up a rock that was too heavy for two ordinary men to lift and crushed Aeneas’s hip. Aphrodite wrapped her son in her robe, which prevented the spears from hitting him, but Diomedes wounded her in the wrist, and she fled to Olympus. Her mother comforted her: it was not the first time a mortal had hurt a god.
Three times Diomedes charged at Apollo, until the god told him to give way. Then, seeing Ares beside Hector, he told the Greeks to fall back: without Athena’s gift he would have mistaken the god for an ordinary Trojan.
At last Athena herself took the reins of his chariot, and with her help he succeeded in wounding the god of war, who bellowed like ten thousand men and fled to heaven. It was a ten-year war, and this was the day the gods themselves bled.
A man who fights the gods does not live long. But Diomedes knew when to step back.
Tell from; allow to; prevent from
PHILO
He could tell gods from men. Athena allowed him to fight Aphrodite. The robe prevented the spears from hitting Aeneas.
SOPHIA
tell A from B. allow someone to (but let someone do). prevent / stop someone from + -ing, never prevent to.
Too… to; give way; mistake for
MARCOS
The rock was too heavy for two men to lift! Apollo: “Give way!” He might have mistaken Ares for a Trojan.
SOPHIA
too + adjective (+ for someone) + to. give way = step back; give in = surrender; give up = stop trying. mistake A for B.
The first time; participle clauses; succeed in; a ten-year war
DEMETRIA
It isn’t the first time a mortal has hurt a god. Seeing Ares, he stepped back. He succeeded in wounding him. A ten-year war!
SOPHIA
the first time + present perfect. Seeing… = when / because he saw (same subject!). succeed in + -ing (manage to + verb). a ten-year war: no s before a noun.
Sophia’s summary
| Form | Use | From the story |
|---|---|---|
| tell A from B; mistake A for B | difference; confusion | He could tell gods from men. |
| allow someone to; prevent someone from + -ing | permission; stopping | The robe prevented the spears from hitting him. |
| too + adj + to; give way | too much; stepping back | too heavy for two men to lift |
| the first time + present perfect | first experiences | It isn’t the first time a mortal has hurt a god. |
| participle clause; succeed in; a ten-year war | reason; success; compound adjectives | Seeing Ares, he stepped back. |
Practice
Answer all the questions, then press “Check my answers”. You can try again as many times as you like.
A · Choose
Choose the correct form.
1. Athena helped him tell gods ___ men.
2. She allowed him ___ Aphrodite.
3. The robe prevented the spears ___ hitting Aeneas.
4. Apollo shouted: “Give ___!”
5. He nearly mistook Ares ___ a Trojan.
6. This isn’t the first time a mortal ___ a god.
B · Write
Write the correct form of the word in brackets, or the missing word.
7. The rock was too heavy for two men (lift).
8. With Athena’s help, he succeeded in (wound) Ares.
9. (see) Ares beside Hector, Diomedes stepped back.
10. It was a ten- (year) war.
C · Right or wrong?
Is it correct?
11. “Athena let him to fight Aphrodite.”
12. “It’s the first time I see a god bleed.”
13. “Diomedes managed to wound the god of war.”
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