Achilles 'Hephaestus' World: The Shield Of Achilles
The Shield of Achilles Achilles’ shield wa like no other piece of armor. Eva Brann, in her article “Hephaestus’ World: The Shield”, described the shield as “the world of the god who makes it but just as much the world of the man who bears it”. Brann, in the same article, went on to describe such meanings of the shield. Brann explained that in both of Homer’s poems, he believed that artifacts, chariots, garments and shields were all “wonders to behold” but Achilles’ shield was far beyond that. The shield, which Ajax kills himself over and Odysseus loses, was like no other thing ever owned by a human being. Brann explained it as “not imaginable as a trophy for display”. Ajax, because he was a very large man, demanded larger armor and
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Odysseus would have simply tripped over the shield. In The Iliad, we find that Achilles’ old armor had to be shrunk by the god to fit Hector, whom was described as a big, solid man. The shield was a disk- shaped.
Brann described the shield as the image of a world that Homer saw in his mind. In the shield, there are two cities. One was at peace and in celebration. This city is known as the “City of Peace” (Harvard). They were celebrating marriages with processions, music, and dancing. While the women stood at the doors to watch, there were also elders and cheering onlookers. The people were so joyful and showed so much happiness. The other city, on the other hand, was like Troy. This is known as the “City of War” (Harvard). Within this city, there were two plans being considered: to be destroyed or to hand over half the possessions of the lovely. On the cities wall, old men and wives and also children sat to watch. On the shield, you can see the major differences between the two sides. Some people looked at the cities as relation to court systems. In it, there were plaintiffs, defendants, juries and onlookers. There was also a victim, which was a dead man being dragged by his feet. All of the scenes were encompassed by the River Okeanos, also known as the River Ocean. The River Ocean was a great, fresh- water stream which circled the flat earth. It was known, during this time, as the source of all the Earth’s fresh- water (Greek Mythology). Homer describede the shield in book eighteen, lines
558-564: At first Hephaestus makes a great massive shield, blazoning well- wrought emblems all across its surface, raising a rim around it, glittering, triple- ply with a silver shield- strap run from edge to edge and five layers of metal to build the shield itself, and across its vast expanse with all his craft and cunning the god creates a world of gorgeous immortal.”
(Homer)
The shield encompassed a complete world, according to Brunn. It had opposition and variety, city and country, cultivation and wilderness, war and peace. It was just like the world we know today. The shield was made especially for Achilles. He wore it into the last battle in the Iliad. Achilles was covered by a five- layered shield, which was one of the most epic pieces of armor in the book. It was beautiful but yet so presumably fragile. Spears smashed it. A warrior, named Aeneas, actually drove his spear completely through the shield. In this battle, we saw how Achilles’ shield may be beautiful and irresistible but it was also superfluous, meaning it was pointless and unnecessary. Brunn stated that the shield “teaches by contrast through its godless and hero less space”. She claimed that the shield’s visible surface indefeasibly beautiful. “He bears it; it shields him. He exposes it; it covers him. He exposes it to the trust of the spears under which it is punctures and staved in but never completely penetrated (as any world is reparable after war).” Achilles took the shield into battle for protection but walks around with it as if he held the power behind the cosmos.
Works Cited
Brann, Eva. "Hephaestus ' World: The Shield." American Poetry Review 31.6 (20002): n. pag. .com. MasterFILE. Web. 1 Oct. 2012.
Homer. "Book 18." Trans. Robert Fagles. The Iliad. Deluxe ed. New York: Penguin Group, 1990. N. pag. Print.
"OCEANUS, THE ENCIRCLING RIVER: Greek Mythology." OCEANUS, THE ENCIRCLING RIVER: Greek Mythology. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2012. .
"The Shield of Achilles." The Shield of Achilles. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2012. .
Odysseus would have simply tripped over the shield. In The Iliad, we find that Achilles’ old armor had to be shrunk by the god to fit Hector, whom was described as a big, solid man. The shield was a disk- shaped.
Brann described the shield as the image of a world that Homer saw in his mind. In the shield, there are two cities. One was at peace and in celebration. This city is known as the “City of Peace” (Harvard). They were celebrating marriages with processions, music, and dancing. While the women stood at the doors to watch, there were also elders and cheering onlookers. The people were so joyful and showed so much happiness. The other city, on the other hand, was like Troy. This is known as the “City of War” (Harvard). Within this city, there were two plans being considered: to be destroyed or to hand over half the possessions of the lovely. On the cities wall, old men and wives and also children sat to watch. On the shield, you can see the major differences between the two sides. Some people looked at the cities as relation to court systems. In it, there were plaintiffs, defendants, juries and onlookers. There was also a victim, which was a dead man being dragged by his feet. All of the scenes were encompassed by the River Okeanos, also known as the River Ocean. The River Ocean was a great, fresh- water stream which circled the flat earth. It was known, during this time, as the source of all the Earth’s fresh- water (Greek Mythology). Homer describede the shield in book eighteen, lines
558-564: At first Hephaestus makes a great massive shield, blazoning well- wrought emblems all across its surface, raising a rim around it, glittering, triple- ply with a silver shield- strap run from edge to edge and five layers of metal to build the shield itself, and across its vast expanse with all his craft and cunning the god creates a world of gorgeous immortal.”
(Homer)
The shield encompassed a complete world, according to Brunn. It had opposition and variety, city and country, cultivation and wilderness, war and peace. It was just like the world we know today. The shield was made especially for Achilles. He wore it into the last battle in the Iliad. Achilles was covered by a five- layered shield, which was one of the most epic pieces of armor in the book. It was beautiful but yet so presumably fragile. Spears smashed it. A warrior, named Aeneas, actually drove his spear completely through the shield. In this battle, we saw how Achilles’ shield may be beautiful and irresistible but it was also superfluous, meaning it was pointless and unnecessary. Brunn stated that the shield “teaches by contrast through its godless and hero less space”. She claimed that the shield’s visible surface indefeasibly beautiful. “He bears it; it shields him. He exposes it; it covers him. He exposes it to the trust of the spears under which it is punctures and staved in but never completely penetrated (as any world is reparable after war).” Achilles took the shield into battle for protection but walks around with it as if he held the power behind the cosmos.
Works Cited
Brann, Eva. "Hephaestus ' World: The Shield." American Poetry Review 31.6 (20002): n. pag. .com. MasterFILE. Web. 1 Oct. 2012.
Homer. "Book 18." Trans. Robert Fagles. The Iliad. Deluxe ed. New York: Penguin Group, 1990. N. pag. Print.
"OCEANUS, THE ENCIRCLING RIVER: Greek Mythology." OCEANUS, THE ENCIRCLING RIVER: Greek Mythology. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2012. .
"The Shield of Achilles." The Shield of Achilles. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2012. .