Down she plunged to the bottom fast as a lead weight
sheathed in a glinting lure of wild hull’s horn,
bearing hooked death to the ravenous fish.
– Homer
The Iliad, Book 24, lines 99-101. Iris the messenger goddess plunges into the sea to find Thetis, queen of the sea nymphs and mother of Achilles. Iris has a message from Zeus for Thetis to instruct her son Achilles to return Hector’s body for a ransom. An epic simile tells how Iris plunges to the bottom as fast as a lead weight fastened to a lure to hook hungry fish.