In Homer’s Iliad, the Greek hero Diomedes wounded the goddess Aphrodite during the fighting at Troy.
Diomedes is one of the strongest Greek warriors in the Iliad. With help from Athena, he attacks several divine beings during the battle. When Aphrodite tries to rescue her son Aeneas, Diomedes strikes her hand with his spear and forces her to withdraw from the battlefield.
Aphrodite is not primarily a war goddess, and the poem treats her as less suited to direct combat than Athena or Ares. She returns to Olympus and complains to Zeus. Later, Diomedes also wounds Ares, the god of war, with Athena’s assistance.
The episode illustrates the Iliad’s unusual relationship between gods and mortals. Divine beings intervene constantly, but they can still suffer pain and temporary defeat. Diomedes’ ability to challenge gods is a special mark of his heroic excellence in the poem.