Once the battle resumes, Diomedes emerges as a fierce and skilled warrior. He encounters many Trojans on the battlefield and is able to defeat them with ease, aided by the goddess Athena. Diomedes even wounds two gods, Aphrodite and Ares, who have taken sides in the battle.
Meanwhile, Zeus watches the battle from atop Mount Ida and becomes frustrated by the intervention of Athena and Hera on the side of the Greeks. He decides to intervene himself and sends a thunderbolt down to the battlefield, causing the Trojans to scatter in fear. He then orders Hector to withdraw his troops from the battle and return to the city of Troy.
Agamemnon is initially overjoyed by the sudden turn of events, as the Greeks are now winning the battle. However, he becomes angry when he learns that he is not receiving the credit for the Greek victory that he believes he deserves. He accuses the warrior Nestor of taking credit for his achievements and threatens to take revenge against him. He also insists that he will take the best spoils of war for himself, rather than sharing them with the other Greek leaders.