The Shield of Achilles


The shield of Achilles plays a major part in the Iliad. It portrays the
story of the Achaeans and their fight against the Trojans in a microcosm of the
larger story. Forged by the god, Hephaestus, who was a crippled smith, it
depicts the two cities and the happenings within, as well as Agamemnon's kingly
estate. To gain insight into the details and intricacies of the shield, one must
look at the shield itself, the cities depicted within the shield, and the King's
Estate and other scenes which are also depicted. These items will give even an
amateur reader a fair understanding of the importance of Achilles' shield and
the Iliad.
Hephaestus, the god of fire, is the smith whom forged Achilles' shield.
He begins with twenty hot bellows and fires bronze, tin, gold, and silver in his
kiln. He then proceeds to hammer the metals upon his anvil to create a massive
shield for Achilles to wield. The shield itself is made of five layers of metal
with a triple ply......

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Title: The Shield Of Achilles
Approximate Word Count: 713
Approximate Pages: 3 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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