I cannot let us battle the Father any longer,
Not for mortal men…
Men – let one of them die, another live
However their luck may run, Let Zeus decide.
– Homer
The Iliad, Book 8, lines 491-494. In the face of threats from Zeus over their decision to fight alongside the Greeks, Hera and Athena give up their plan to join the battle. Let Zeus decide which men live and die, Hera says to Athena.