Shield of Achilles facts for kids
The shield of Achilles is a special shield used by the Greek hero Achilles in his famous fight against Hector. This amazing shield is described in great detail in a part of Homer's ancient poem, the Iliad. The pictures on the shield are so detailed that people have studied them for a long time to understand their meaning.
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How Achilles Got His Shield
In the Iliad poem, Achilles let his friend Patroclus borrow his armor. Patroclus used it to lead the Greek army into battle. Sadly, Patroclus was killed by Hector, and Hector took Achilles' armor as a prize of war.
Achilles was very sad and angry about losing his friend. He wanted to go back to battle. So, his mother, Thetis, who was a sea nymph, asked the god Hephaestus to make new armor for her son. Hephaestus was the god of metalworking and crafts. He agreed and made a spectacular shield for Achilles, covered with beautiful pictures.
What is Ekphrasis?
Homer's description of the shield is one of the first known examples of something called ekphrasis in ancient Greek poetry. Ekphrasis is a fancy word for when a writer gives a very detailed description of a piece of art. It helps the reader imagine the artwork even though they can't see it. It also adds deeper meaning to the story.
Influence on Other Stories
The story of Hephaestus making Achilles' shield has inspired many other writers. For example, the poem Shield of Heracles is similar to Homer's description. Also, Virgil's description of the Shield of Aeneas in his poem, the Aeneid, was clearly inspired by Homer. In more modern times, W. H. Auden wrote a poem called The Shield of Achilles in 1952, which reimagines the shield for the 20th century. This passage is also seen as one of the first times someone tried to map out the universe in ancient Greece.
What Was on the Shield?
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Homer describes all the amazing images on the new shield. The pictures are arranged in circles, starting from the center and moving outwards.
- The very center showed the Earth, the sky, and the sea. It also showed the sun, the moon, and famous constellations like the Pleiades, the Hyades, Orion, and Ursa Major (the Great Bear).
- Next, there were two beautiful cities full of people. In one city, a wedding was happening, and people were settling a legal case. The other city was under attack by an army, and the shield showed an ambush and a battle.
- Then, there was a field being plowed for the third time.
- After that, a king's farm was shown, where workers were harvesting crops.
- There was also a vineyard with people picking grapes and children playing.
- A herd of cattle was pictured, with two fierce lions attacking the lead bull. Herdsmen and their dogs were trying to fight off the lions.
- A sheep farm was also shown.
- Finally, there was a dancing floor where young men and women were dancing and getting to know each other.
- The very edge of the shield showed the great stream of Oceanus, which was believed to be a river that circled the world.
Images for kids
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The shield's design as interpreted by Angelo Monticelli, from Le Costume Ancien ou Moderne, ca. 1820.
