The Trojan Offensive - The Counterattack of Hector's Warriors - The Trojan War Saga Ep 20

While Greeks and Trojans were clashing on the battlefield, a major tussle between the gods was about to take place on Mount Olympus. Hera, Athena, and Poseidon were on the side of the Achaeans, while Aphrodite, Ares, and Apollo were helping the Trojans. This feud was about to lead to a civil war in the abode of the gods. Zeus called for an end to the turmoil that had erupted and struck a deafening thunderclap. The supreme god decreed that he would not allow any other Olympian deity to directly interfere in the conflict until further notice. Should any of them disobey his command, he would personally throw them into Tartarus. If they wished to test his power, Zeus said, they could stretch a chain connecting the earth to the heavens. Every other god together could measure forces with him by pulling from one end of the chain. High in the heavens, he would raise all the gods and even the earth and the sea as evidence of his omnipotence. Zeus went to Mount Ida, where he would set the course of the upcoming war events by himself. Fate had indicated that it was time for the Trojans to overpower the Greeks. Even though they were outnumbered, they were fighting for their families and their land. Favored by Zeus, Hector and his men pushed forward against the Greek hosts, who could not withstand the pressure. The Achaeans soon began to give way and retreated to their camp. All the while they were pursued by the Trojans, who followed them like rabid dogs. Paris fired a sharp arrow at the horse pulling old Nestor's chariot, who fell to the ground. Although old, the king of Pylos still kept the same bravery of his youthful days. He defended himself against the attackers with his sword. But Hector was drawing near with his fearsome spear, which had already brought down more than a hundred Greeks. But the gods appeared to be watching over old Nestor, and he was eventually rescued by Diomedes. Diomedes wished to achieve glory by claiming Hector's life, but a mighty thunderclap revealed that this was not Zeus's will. The old warrior succeeded in dissuading Diomedes from confronting the Trojan champion. The Trojans proceeded to advance to the moat guarding the Greeks' camp. Hector even said that he would have burned the Greek ships had it not been for the arrival of Nix, the goddess of the night, who blanketed the earth with her black cloak. In Agamemnon's tent, the Greek leaders seemed supremely worried at the overwhelming victory the Trojans had achieved that day. The Achaeans' morale was at an all-time low. Nestor reminded Agamemnon that the Greeks' luck turned when the Achaean supreme chieftain fell out with Achilles. The Mycenaean king agreed that it was a mistake, and he was now willing to rectify it. Achilles would be offered great treasures, slaves, and even the beautiful Briseis would be returned to him if he agreed to fight again. Odysseus and Ajax would present Achilles with Agamemnon's offer of reconciliation, which was indeed quite generous. But Achilles was undeterred. He said he would already have left if Poseidon would grant him safe passage. He had worked hard to get his spoils, only to be later robbed by Agamemnon, and so he would not be fooled again by that man. During the night, Odysseus and Diomedes set out to spy on the Trojans and find out what they were up to. That's when they came across a man who was surely a Trojan spy, aiming for an equivalent purpose to theirs. The Greek heroes forced the bloke to surrender and threatened him with death if he did not reveal some information of value to the Greeks. He said his name was Dolon, who owned valuable information that he would trade for his life. The Trojans said that King Rhesus of Thrace and his men were camped nearby, and that they had with them their wonderful white horses, reputed to be the finest in the world. Diomedes decided not to risk it, and did not spare the spy's life. Diomedes and Odysseus sneaked into the Thracian nobleman's camp. The Ithacan king made his way to the horses, while Diomedes provided him with cover. Diomedes assaulted the watchman from behind, but he was not silent enough. A soldier woke up and sounded the alarm, but his cry would be muffled by Diomedes' knife. The Thracian warriors woke up startled, unable to understand what was going on. All the while, Diomedes ran among them, taking their lives like a ghost at Thanatos' behest. Diomedes' last casualty was King Rhesus. He and twelve of his brave warriors fell that night at the hands of Tydeus' son. Meanwhile, Odysseus had succeeded in stealing the horses, and was calling for Diomedes to flee before reinforcements arrived. They reached the Greek camp along with goddess Aurora, which heralded the birth of a new day. The two heroes were cheered by the Greek fighters for stealing Rhesus' mighty seeds, and that lifted the Achaeans' morale. Nearby, however, Hector was giving a fiery speech to his men. He said that they would invade the Greek base that day, and set fire to their ships. The fight for the retaking of the Ilian beaches was just beginning.