Question

prof. christopher m. kuipers
engl 354 classical lit. in translation
iup, fall semester 2025

unit 1 application and human dimension: iliad 18 “the shield of achilles”: guided notes (all levels)
→ the description of the shield’s creation is considered to be the poem’s

• similar to other of shields; see also agamemnon’s (11.32 - 40), but going far beyond these.
• archeological evidence: there are large decorated shields with circles (these were dedicated to temples or used as ceremonial objects).
• like the epic similes, homer’s description goes against war; has been removed from its usual central location, displaced by pastoral scenes.
• like his epic, homer’s shield is huge and (hephaistos’s work moves as if it were alive)—it is only possible as a literary creation.

the shield: ring composition, portrays the center of divine and human authority outwards:

1. central “boss”: picture of —the heavens, stars, the earth (18.483 - 89).
2. two cities set in : one at peace, one at war (490 - 540).
3. “suburbs”/four scenes: plowing, reaping, vines, oxen (541 - 86).
4. outer reaches, of human life: pasture, dancing ground (587 - 605).
5. outside rim: ocean, ultimate of the known world (605 - 06).

add diagram here... (one possible interpretation)—note: the above breakdown assumes a 4 + 2 structure for the third and fourth rings; the image provided has a 3+3 structure: you choose! ok if you prefer to do this on a separate sheet.

Explanation:

This is a literature - related question about the description of the shield in "The Shield of Achilles" from Iliad. It requires knowledge of the poem's content, its literary devices, and the cultural - historical context related to shields.

Answer:

1. masterpiece
2. descriptions
3. elaborate designs
4. the image of war
5. alive
6. the universe
7. contrast
8. pastoral
9. aspects
10. boundary