Outside Reading Post 5

...[Diomedes] threw his spear. Athena guided it / straight to Pandarus' nose, directly by the eyes. / It smashed through his white teeth. The tireless bronze / sliced through his tongue at the root, coming out his chin, / right at the tip...

Importance
This quote exemplifies the role of the gods in mythological Greek life. They do not let the mortals be and let the chips fall where they may, but instead get fully involved in the affairs of man, even going so far as to influence the outcome of battles and wars. This is a theme that is used throughout the book and explains some of the more outlandish acts of the Greeks because they believe they have no role in their own fate.

Analysis
This quote, in addition to showing how gods interfered with earthly affairs, shows the violence of Greek culture. Diomedes, a hero of the Achaean army, violently kills a member of the opposing force. This, I assume, was meant to highlight the achievements of Diomedes as a skilled warrior, but to my 21st century eyes, it seemed a little like overkill and a little too brutal for me to completely respect Diomedes as a soldier. The description of the Trojan's teeth as "white" shows the disrespect for vanity that Diomedes had. Pandarus, who maybe took great care in keeping his teeth white, was now dead where white teeth didn't matter. This is a mirror of the battle between Agamemnon and Paris; Agamemnon was a soldier who had no value for his appearance, while Paris was a foolish boy who had nothing but his good looks.