Dione is one of the more mysterious Greek goddesses. Some believe that she is the personification of a more ancient Mother Goddess (Goddess of the Oak from Asia Minor) and that the Greeks simply adopted her into their pantheon. Regardless, Dione was a resident of Mount Olympos (Olympus) and was honored by Zeus and the other Immortals.
When Aphrodite (goddess of Love) was wounded in the battle for the city of Troy, she escaped the battlefield and sought the loving attentions of Dione. When Aphrodite greeted Dione on Mount Olympos she called her ‘mother’ as a loving appellation. Dione wiped away the oozing ichor (divine blood) from Aphrodite’s wounded arm and comforted her with stories about the other Immortals and how they too had been injured and abused. Dione told Aphrodite that the mighty god of War, Ares, had once been bound and held prisoner by the gigantic brothers, Ephialtes and Otos (Otus). Ares was confined inside a cauldron for thirteen months before he was freed by Hermes. Dione tried to make Aphrodite realize that, even though she was immortal, she was still subject to sorrow and hurt.
The line numbers listed here correspond fairly well with the Lattimore and Murray/Wyatt translations of The Iliad. Other translations (Fitzgerald, Fagles et al) do not correspond as well but, with a small amount of effort, you should be able to find the reference you need regardless of the translation you use. Lattimore (ISBN 0226469409); A.T. Murray/William F. Wyatt Vol. I & II (ISBN 0674995791 and 0674995805); Robert Fitzgerald (ISBN 0374529051); Robert Fagles (ISBN 0140275363)
