On reflection, it seems that quite a lot of the action in the Iliad’s book 5 involves chariots and horses. A list:
— The story of Pandoras not bringing his horses to Troy. His discussion with Aeneas about who’s driving the chariot.
— Diomedes discussing the origin of Aeneas’ horses and forging a plot to abduct them — the horses of Laomedon.
— The wounded Aphrodite asking Ares for his horses and she and Iris ascending with them to Olympus. (352-369)
— The horses of Laomedon coming up again in the conflict between Tlepolemos and Sarpedon, for the sake of which, we’re told, Heracles had long ago sacked Troy.
— Athena and Hera ride down in a chariot from Olympus and hide their horses in a mist, echoing Aphrodite and Iris’ ride up. (Ares’ horses seem also to have also been in a mist, 356.)
— Athena essentially pushes Diomedes’ chariot driver out of the chariot and becomes Diomedes’ driver herself.
— Ares, on being wounded, does not, incidentally, return to Olympus on horses but on his “swift feet.” (885)
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