resting on a couch, and hurries off, in the guise of an old crone, to
twitch Helen's veil, whispering that Paris awaits her at home.
Recognizing the goddess in spite of her disguise, Helen reproaches
her, declaring she has no desire ever to see Paris again, but Venus,
awing Helen into submission, leads her back to the palace. There
Paris, after artfully ascribing Menelaus' triumph to Minerva's aid,
proceeds to woo Helen anew. Meantime Menelaus vainly ranges to and
fro, seeking his foe and hotly accusing the Trojans of screening him,
while Agamemnon clamors for the immediate surrender of Helen, saving
the Greeks have won.

_Book IV._ The gods on Mount Olympus, who have witnessed all, now
taunt each other with abetting the Trojans or Greeks, as the case may
be. After this quarrel has raged some time, Jupiter bids Minerva go
down, and violate the truce; so, in the guise of a warrior, she
prompts a Trojan archer to aim at Menelaus a dart which produces a
nominal wound. This is enough, however, to excite Agamemnon to avenge
the broken treaty. A moment later the Greek phalanx advances, urged on
by Minerva, while the Trojans, equally inspired by Mars, rush to meet
them with similar fury. Streams of blood now flow, the earth trembles
beneath the crash of falling warriors, and the roll of war chariots is
like thunder. Although it seems for a while as if the Greeks are
gaining the advantage, Apollo spurs the Trojans to new efforts by
reminding them that Achilles, their most dreaded foe, is absent.

_Book V._ Seeing the battle well under way, Minerva now drags Mars out
of the fray, suggesting that mortals settle their quarrel unaided.
Countless duels now occur, many lives are lost, and sundry miracles
are performed. Diomedes, for instance, being instantly healed of a
grievous wound by Minerva, plunges back into the fray and fights until