The Shields of Heroes
Achilles and Aeneas
CAMS 045: Classical Mythology
Olivia Christman
12/13/2013
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Achilles and Aeneas can each be described as heroes and leaders. Achilles, having no
loyalty to a particular king, was seen as a hero of the Greek people. Aeneas, one of the few
Trojan soldiers to survive the war, was hailed as hero and leader of what remained of the Trojan
people. Each man showcased great skill and leadership on the battlefront and each was presented
with their own personalized, invaluable piece of protection: a shield. Both men’s shields were
designed and crafted by the god of the forges himself.
Achilles’ shield was presented to him by his mother Thetis, a sea nymph, who sought out
Hephaestus1 when Achilles had no armor2. Hephaestus made every detail perfect, giving each
image significant meaning. The shield depicted the diversity of the Greek world and what would
be lost if Greece were to fall. The shield had ten sections, with the center scene depicting the
physical cosmos: the Earth, sea, sun, moon, and stars3. Surrounding this were two cities: one at
peace, the other at war. The city at war, a gruesome scene of a city rife with hate, confusion and
death, was a parallel to Troy, with the enemy divided and the gods immersed in fighting, thereby
making the city at peace ironic. Within the warring city an image showed a conflict by the river,
a foreshadowing of what was ahead for Achilles.
Surrounding the two cities were three agricultural vignettes: a field being plowed,
workers reaping a harvest, and a vineyard.4 Surrounding these idyllic scenes were three more
divisions: sheep, cattle, and young people. The cattle scene was in a rampage because the lead
bull had been killed by two savage lions, which the herdsmen and their dogs are trying to chase
away. This was an analogy to Patroclus, who was seen as the lead bull, tying in with Patroclus’
brutal and uncalled for murder by Hector. On a different note, the scene of young people dancing
1
Thetis approached Hephaestus to repay the kindness she had shown him when his mother, Hera, had thrown him
off Mt Olympus. He agreed to do whatever she asks of him, since she had saved his life.
2
Patroclus, Achilles’ cousin, had taken his armor in order to lead the Myrmidons into battle when Achilles refused
to fight for Agamemnon. Patroclus was then killed by Hector, who took Achilles’ armor as a prize.
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was to remind Achilles that not everything in the world was tragic. This scene, along with the
vignettes of farming and the peaceful city, served as painful reminders that Achilles had been
predestined to be a warrior5, dealing with constant conflict and death.
The outer rim of Achilles’ shield was known as the “Ocean River”6. It flowed around the
shield, encompassing the beautiful, yet dangerous, world it surrounded. Silver and strong, it
brought the shield full circle to the cosmos commanding attention in the center, a reminder that
everything was tied together in the world. Each individual element in the shield, when combined,
constituted a full and rich life. Homer glorified the everyday scenes on the shield, depicting such
a life to be equally noble, and even preferable, to that of a hailed warrior. This was the life that
Achilles sacrificed when he picked up the shield and continued to fight.
True to his fate, Aeneas, son of Venus, was the last hero of Troy and the enemy of
Achilles. He escaped from Troy to reach Italy and founded the Roman people. Throughout the
journey to Italy, Aeneas tested by suffering a broken heart7, losing valuable supporters8, and
being tempted by many to stray from his fate9. The gods, select Trojans, and a few outsiders tried
to manipulate his journey. Juno, who did not want Aeneas to reach Italy, was especially
influential in his difficult journey to Italy. But fate prevailed, pushing Aeneas on to his future and
that of his people.
With Aeneas fighting Turnus and no end in sight, Venus feared for Aeneas’ safety and
persuaded10 her husband Vulcan, the god of fire and forging, to create new armor for Aeneas.
Having never asked Vulcan for similar favors during the Trojan War, Vulcan agreed, designing a
3
The field was being plowed for the third time, the reaping was occurring at a king’s estate where he would watch
over the harvest, and the vineyard was full of grape pickers.
4
Before his birth, Achilles’ mother was forced to choose between her son living a long and happy life with many
descendents, but not be remembered through history, or he would live a short, tragic life that would bring him
eternal glory. Thetis chose the latter, permanently sealing Achilles’ fate and preventing him from ever having a carefree youth, a family, or a kingdom of his own. She wanted her son to be remembered, but it came with a great price.
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shield crafted with metal stronger than that used by humans. Although Aeneas did not
understand what the images on the shield represented, Vulcan had depicted the momentous
events surrounding the glory that would accompany Rome. The images displayed a promising
future for Rome, full of hope, unity, and greatness.
Among the many stories and people the shield represented were the stories of Romulus
and Remus, the defeat of the Gauls, Caesar Augustus’ victory at Actium, Catilina, Mettus’
dismemberment, and Caesar triumphantly returning to Rome. Amidst the background of the
entire shield, however, flowed the raging sea. Forged in gold, but foamed with white, the outer
edges of the water were covered in small dolphins and silver.
All the scenes showed Rome as having a powerful and influential presence in the ancient
world. The scenes showing military victories can be traced back to Aeneas and other Trojan
warriors. But as the carrier of a shield that depicted so much of Rome’s future, Aeneas’ fate was
directly tied with that of Rome’s – he carried the fate of Rome’s future on his arm. Aeneas
protected Rome, and the shield protected him.
6
Aeneas fell in love, but was forced to leave to continue on his journey to Italy. Later, his father also died.
Many Trojans were lost to the plague in Crete. Others, those who did not want to continue on, were left in Sicily.
8
Like The Odyssey, Aeneas makes several unscheduled stops during his journey. He also runs into obstacles that
prevent him from reaching Italy and fulfilling his fate.
9
Venus uses her charms and divine gifts to seduce her husband into agreeing to make Aeneas new armor.
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