And first Hephaestus makes a great and massive shield,
…There he made the earth and there the sky and the sea
and the inexhaustible blazing sun and the moon rounding full
and there, the constellations,
…And he forged on the shield two noble cities filled
with mortal men. With weddings and wedding feasts in one
…But circling the other city camped a divided army
gleaming in battle-gear.
– Homer
The Iliad, Book 18, lines 558-594. In one of the most famous pieces of writing in Western literature, Homer describes the shield crafted by Hephaestus, god of fire and the forge, for Achilles in preparation for his return to battle. The shield’s stunningly detailed imagery depicts two cities, one enjoying wedding feasts and celebrations and the other encircled by an invading army. Metaphorically they represent a city in Greece and Troy. At the center of the massive shield the scene is a metaphorical recreation of the earth and the heavens. The shield is a microcosm of the world with all aspects of life represented by its art.