An Assurance of Victory

In chapter 18 of Homer's The Iliad, the shield that Hephaestus forges for Achilles holds a little bit of everything. --of course, so does the Iliad.  Like any shield for any warrior, it is a tool for protection, but this masterpiece, made by a god, is prepared with supernatural prowess by including emotional stimuli to assist and drive our hero, Achilles, to victory.

The earth, the sky, and the sea accompany the sun, the moon, and the stars in the sky. Each make up our immediate universe and have something to benefit Achilles.The strength of the earth to house and give life to all things on the surface and the sun’s blinding heat are meant to give power. The stars and the constellations Orion and the Bear are always there, allowing Achilles consistency.

Hephaestus adds good things to the shield too. He harvests joy and celebration from the wedding. A new beginning of a couple and many happy people jubilate Achilles, yet just down the street, an argument is arising. Along with the festivity, the heat and excitement from a brawl is meant to fuel Achilles’ compulsion to fight.

On another part of the shield, another city sits waiting on war. The tension in the minds of the soldiers stimulates Achilles need for victory. Dressed in gold, Ares and Pallas Athena evacuate the citizens of the city, giving pride to Achilles with their wealth and beauty. The battle begins, and lust for victory streams from the soldiers as they battle ruthlessly shedding blood and carnage. Din sensitizes the air with chaos, and Hate spreads loathsome emotion as the Angel of Death stands to collect his prize. “And each side salvaged the bodies of their dead,”(581) creating sorrow for the lost lives of fellow comrades.

Men in the field compel to complete an honest day’s work. Steadily they plow and give to Achilles their strength and fortitude. The king stands at command with his leadership, and the men allow themselves to be lead by his “happy heart.”

The vineyard supplies natural beauty, and the Linos song flows gently to the ears, helping to bring peace of mind to Achilles. In its simplicity of everyday life, the farmyard supplies straightforwardness. The lions taking down an ox give Achilles their strength, while the dogs and boys hint a little at fear. The beautifully dressed dancers and acrobats act out splendor and grace, allowing Achilles to be quick and agile.

It is hard to imagine what evokes the mind of a warrior, but even harder to see it forged on a shield. How does it all fit? Do the characters on the shield move when a warrior looks at it? The past-tense verbs  in the battle scene suggests that the soldiers fluidly move in battle; the cattle and sheep die needlessly, and the water of the river turns blood red from the war."They  ran up, cut off the herds of cattle and fleecy/ Silver sheep, and killed the two herdsmen" (569-70)

“Among them a boy picked out on a lyre A beguiling tune and sang the Linos song” (612-3) Does the music ride on the wind to the warrior's ears? I think it does, for it has been constructed by a god to give the one who bears it power to defeat any enemy.