Diomede

Steven Taylor, seen here still sporting injuries he sustained in Troy, (TV: "Day of Armageddon" ^[+]Part of The Daleks' Master Plan, Loading...{"namedep":"Day of Armageddon (2)","1":"The Daleks' Master Plan (TV story)"}) adopted the identity of Diomede. (TV: The Myth Makers ^[+]Loading...["The Myth Makers (TV story)"])

Diomede was a friend of Odysseus who fought in the Trojan War on the side of the Greeks. He died from his wounds a week prior to the arrival of the First Doctor, Vicki Pallister and Steven Taylor in the era. (TV: The Myth Makers ^[+]Loading...["The Myth Makers (TV story)"], PROSE: The Myth Makers ^[+]Loading...["The Myth Makers (novelisation)"])

As Steven Diomede, (PROSE: The Myth Makers ^[+]Loading...["The Myth Makers (novelisation)"]) Diomede's identity was later adopted by Steven when he needed a uniform and armour with which to face Paris, hoping to become a prisoner of war with the eventual aim of rescuing Vicki. (TV: The Myth Makers ^[+]Loading...["The Myth Makers (TV story)"], PROSE: The Myth Makers ^[+]Loading...["The Myth Makers (novelisation)"])

Diomede went on to feature as character in William Shakespeare's play Troilus and Cressida which was set during the Trojan War. (PROSE: Apocrypha Bipedium ^[+]Loading...["Apocrypha Bipedium (short story)"])

The original Diomede

Diomede was a friend of Odysseus. He fought for the Greeks in the Trojan War and was known by the Trojans for his prowess. Introducing his prisoner "Diomede" to his father Priam, Paris noted that he would be able to see he was "quite a catch" if he consulted the Greek army lists, (TV: The Myth Makers ^[+]Loading...["The Myth Makers (TV story)"], PROSE: The Myth Makers ^[+]Loading...["The Myth Makers (novelisation)"]) also calling Diomede a "redoubtable and hitherto undefeated, deservedly popular hero". Homer stated that the real Diomede had been "quite a fellow", not in "the very first rank of heroes, like Ajax and Achilles; but still a likely contender for second place in the hierarchy".

While thinking up a reason for how she knew and recognised "Diomede", who was really Steven, Vicki claimed that he had won the Pentathlon the previous year at the Olympic Games. Steven then built upon this by saying that afterwards they had all gone to Diana's Grove and Vicki had told everybody's fortune. (PROSE: The Myth Makers ^[+]Loading...["The Myth Makers (novelisation)"])

The real Diomede died from his wounds a week prior to the arrival of the First Doctor, Vicki and Steven in the era, (TV: The Myth Makers ^[+]Loading...["The Myth Makers (TV story)"], PROSE: The Myth Makers ^[+]Loading...["The Myth Makers (novelisation)"]) at which time the Trojans were unaware of his death. (PROSE: The Myth Makers ^[+]Loading...["The Myth Makers (novelisation)"]) This allowed Steven, who was about his size, to later use Diomede's uniform and armour. (TV: The Myth Makers ^[+]Loading...["The Myth Makers (TV story)"], PROSE: The Myth Makers ^[+]Loading...["The Myth Makers (novelisation)"])

As an alias

Steven adopted the identity of Diomede to avoid the Trojans mistaking him for a spy and summarily executing him. He confronted Paris on the plain outside Troy and provoked him into engaging him in a brief swordfight despite Paris's initial attempts to tell Steven-as-Diomede that it was the blood of Achilles he sought not Diomede's. Steven eventually pretended to trip and yielded. Paris was confused at first, commenting that he would surely prefer to die than be taken prisoner, but Steven managed to convince him to capture him by claiming his friends had advised him against the fight, saying they would rather face Hector and Troilus together than Paris, the lion of Troy. Paris stated he did not have such a reputation in Troy itself, with Steven promising to tell tales of his valour which would make "even King Priam blanch to hear".

Steven and Vicki addressed each other with familiarity when he arrived in Priam's palace which Cassandra took as proof that Vicki, who had adopted the name Cressida, was a Greek spy resulting in both of their incarcerations. Although Vicki was soon released, (TV: The Myth Makers ^[+]Loading...["The Myth Makers (TV story)"], PROSE: The Myth Makers ^[+]Loading...["The Myth Makers (novelisation)"]) the Trojans intended to keep "Diomede" in the cells until he rotted. (TV: The Myth Makers ^[+]Loading...["The Myth Makers (TV story)"]) Vicki later freed Steven herself while the Trojan Horse was being brought into the city.

Vicki and Troilus had fallen in love over the course of her stay in Troy but Troilus struggled with her obvious closeness to Steven, suspecting their friendship was something more. (TV: The Myth Makers ^[+]Loading...["The Myth Makers (TV story)"], PROSE: The Myth Makers ^[+]Loading...["The Myth Makers (novelisation)"]) After Vicki asked Troilus to go and search for Diomede on the plains outside the city following his escape, Troilus apparently convinced himself of this, telling his brother's murderer Achilles "I only live to kill Diomede". Vicki searched for Troilus on the plains as Troy burned and explained to him that Diomede had gone with another friend he had not met. (TV: The Myth Makers ^[+]Loading...["The Myth Makers (TV story)"])

As a character

Diomede featured in William Shakespeare's play Troilus and Cressida. Although the Doctor assumed the successful romance between Troilus and Cressida was predestined based on his limited knowledge of the play, he had never actually read it. When the Eighth Doctor revealed this fact, Charlotte Pollard explained that Cressida did not end up with Troilus in it but with Diomede. This caused Vicki to recall that Diomede had been Steven, though she confirmed to a confused Doctor and a petulant Troilus that in real life they had just been friends. (PROSE: Apocrypha Bipedium ^[+]Loading...["Apocrypha Bipedium (short story)"])