EN
Diomedes' first encounter with Hector ('Ilias' 5, 590 - 607) results in the Achaean hero's withdrawal, the scene, moreover, is accompanied by an unconventional epic simile. The author's purpose in this paper is to interpret the motifs and traditions underlying this episode, and to reconsider on the basis of my conclusions certain aspects of the'Iliad's' first great aristea.