The Iliad (Audiobook) by Homer - Book 18

Book 18: The Shield of Achilles
Achilles, devastated by Patroclus' death, vows revenge. His mother, Thetis, asks Hephaestus to craft new armor for him.
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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Section eighteen of the Iliad by Homer, translated by Samuel Butler.
This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Read by
Peter Dan, Book eighteen, The grief of Achilles over Petroclus,
the visit of Thetis to Vulcan, and the armor that
he made for Achilles. Thus then did they fight, as

(00:23):
it were a flaming fire. Meanwhile, the fleet runner Antilochus,
who had been sent as messenger, reached Achilles, and found
him sitting by his tall ships, and boding that which
was indeed too surely true. Alas said he to himself,
in the heaviness of his heart. Why the Achaeans again
scouring the plane and flocking towards the ships, avan Grant

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the gods been not now bringing that sorrow upon me
of which my mother Thetis spoke, saying that while I
was yet alive, the bravest of the Mrmadon should fall
before the Trojans and see the light of the sun.
No longer I fear the brave son of Monoetius has
fallen through his own daring. And yet I bade him
return to the ships as soon as he had driven
back those that were bringing fire against them. And not

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joined battle with Hector. As he was thus pondering, the
son of Nestor came up to him and told his
sad tale, weeping bitterly the while alas he cried, son
of noble Pelias, may bring you bad tidings, would indeed
that they were untrue. Patroclus has fallen, and a fight

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is raging about his naked body, for Hector holds his armor.
A dark cloud of grief fell upon Achilles as he listened.
He filled both hands with dust from off the ground
and pored it over his head, disfiguring his comely face
and letting the refuse settle over his shirt so fair
and new. He flung himself down, all huge and hugely

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at full length, and tore his hair with his hands.
The bondswomen whom Achilles and Patroclus had taken captive, screamed
aloud for grief, beating their breasts and with their limbs,
failing them for sorrow. Antilochus went over him, the while
weeping and holding both his hands as he lay groaning,
for he feared that he might plunge a knife into

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his own throat. And Achilles gave a loud cry and
his mother heard him as she was sitting in the
depths of the sea by the old man, her father,
whereon she screamed, and all the goddesses daughters of Nereus,
that dwelt at the bottom of the sea came gathering
round her. There were glass Thalia and Comodici, Neesaya, Speo

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Thoe and dark haired Higlie, Samothoe, Actaea and Limnoria, melite
Iaia and Fittoe, and i gave Doto and Proto Arusa,
and Dainahmini, Dexamini and Philomini, and Callianeira, Doris Panope, and
the famous sea nymph Galatia, Nemertis, Aspudis and Calianassa. There

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were so Clemene, Neira and i Anassa, Mayerrahretuia and Amathea
of the lovely locks, with other Nereids who dwelt in
the depths of the sea. The crystal cave was filled
with their multitude, and they all beat their breasts whilst
it has led them in their lament listen. She cried, sisters,

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daughters of Nereus, that you may hear the burden of
my sorrows. Alas woe is me woe in that I
have borne the most glorious of offspring. I bore him
fair and strong, hero among heroes, and he shot up
as a sapling. I tendered him as a plant in
a goodly garden, and sent him with his ships to
Ilias to fight the Trojans. But never shall I welcome

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him back to the house of Pelias, so long as
he lives to look upon the light of the sun.
He is in heaviness, and though I go to him,
I cannot help him. Nevertheless, I will go that I
may see my dear son and learn what sorrow has
befallen him, though he is still holding aloof from battle.
She left the cave as she spoke, while the others followed,

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weeping after, and the waves opened a path before them.
When they reached the rich plain of Troy, they came
out of the sea in a long line on the sands,
at the place where the ships of the Mermadons were
drawn up in close order round the tents of Achilles.
His mother went up to him as he lay groaning.
She laid her hand upon his head and spoke piteously, saying,

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my son, why are you thus weeping? What sorrow has
now befallen you tell me, hide it not from me.
Surely Jove has granted you the prayer you made him
when you lifted up your hands and besought him that
the Achaeans might all of them be pent up at
their ships, and drew it bitterly in that you were
no longer with them. Achilles groaned and answered, Mother Olympian,

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Jove has, indeed varchsafed me the fulfillment of my prayer.
But what boots it to me? Seeing that my dear
comrade Petroclus has fallen, he whom I valued more than
all others and loved us dearly my own life, I
have lost him. Aye, And Hector, when he killed him,
stripped the wondrous armor, so glorious to behold, which the
gods gave to Pelias when they laid you in the

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couch of a mortal man, Or that you were still
dwelling among the immortal sea nymphs, and that Pelius had
taken to himself some mortal bride. For now you shall
have grief infinite by reason of the death of that son,
whom you can never welcome home. Nay, I will not
go to live, nor go about among mankind unless Hector

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fall by my spear, and thus pay me for having
slain Petrocolus, son of Menoetius. He has wept and answered, then,
my son, is your end near at hand? For your
own death awaits you full soon after that of Hector.
Then said Achilles, in his great grief, I would die

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here and now in that I could not save my comrade.
He has fallen far from home, and in his hour
of need my hand was not there to help him.
What is there for me? Return to my own land?
I shall not, and I have brought no saving, neither
to Petroclus nor to my other comrades, of whom so
many have been slain by mighty Hector. I stay here

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by my ships, a bootless burden upon the earth, I
who in fight have no peer among the Achaeans, though
in counsel there are better than I. Therefore perish strife,
both from among gods and men, and anger, wherein even
a righteous man will harden his heart, which rises up
in the soul of a man like smoke, And the

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taste thereof is sweeter than drops of honey. Even so
as Agamemnon angered me, and yet so be it, For
it is over, I will force my soul into subjection.
As I needs must, I will go. I will pursue
Hector who has slain him whom I loved so dearly,
and will then abide my doom when it may please

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Jove and the other gods to send it. Even Hercules,
the best beloved of Jove, even he could not escape
the hand of death, but fate and Juno's fears anger
laid him low. As I too shall lie when I
am dead. If a like doom awaits me till then
I will win fame and will bid Trojan and Dardanian

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women wring tears from their tender cheeks with both their
hands in the grievousness of their great sorrow. Thus shall
they know that he who has held aloof so long
will hold aloof no longer. Hold me not back. Therefore,
in the love you bear me, for you shall not
move me. Then, silver footed Thetis answered, my son, what

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you have said is true. It is well to save
your comrades from destruction. But your armor is in the
hands of the Trojans. Hector best in triumph upon his
own shoulders. Full well I know that his waunts shall
not be lasting, for his end is close at hand.
Go not, however, into the press of battle, till you
see me return hither to morrow at break of day,

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I shall be here and will bring you goodly armor
from King Vulcan. On this she left her brave son,
And as she turned away, she said to the sea nymphs,
her sisters, dive into the bosom of the sea, and
go to the house of the old sea god my
father tell him everything. As for me, I will go
to the cunning workman Vulcan on high Olympus and ask

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him to provide my son with a suit of splendid armor.
When she had so said, they dived forthwith beneath the waves,
while silver footed theaters went away, that she might bring
the armor for her son. Thus then did her feet
bear the goddess to Olympus. And meanwhile the Achaeans were
flying with loud cries before murderous Hector, till they reached

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the ships in the hallispond, and they could not draw
the body of Mars's servant Petroclas out of reach of
the weapons that were showered upon him, for Hector, son
of Priam, with his host and horsemen, had again caught
up to him like the flame of a fiery furnace.
Thrice did brave Hector seize him by the feet, striving
with might and main to draw him away, and calling

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loudly on the Trojans. And thrice did the two Ajaxes,
clothed in valor as with a garment, beat him from
off the body. But all undaunted, he would now charge
into the thick of the fight. And now again he
would stand still and cry aloud, but he would give
no ground, as upland shepherds. That cannot chase some famished

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lion from a carcass. Even so, could not the two
Ajaxes scare Hector, son of Priam, from the body of Petroclus.
And now he would even have dragged it off. And
one imperishable glory had not Iris fleet'd as the wind
winged away his messenger from Olympus to the son of
Pelius and bidden him harm. She came secretly, without the

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knowledge of Jove and of the other gods, for Juno's center.
And when she had got close to him, she said, up,
son of Pelius, mightiest of all mankind, rescue Patroclus, about
whom this fearful fight is now raging by the ships.
Men are killing one another, the Danaeans in defense of
the dead body, while the Trojans are trying to hale

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it away and take it to Windy. Ilius Hector is
the most furious of them all. He is for cutting
their head from the body and fixing it on the
stakes of the wall. Up then and bide here no
longer shrink from the thought that Petroclus may become meat
for the dogs of Troy. Shame on you should his
body suffer any kind of outrage. And Achilles said Iris,

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which of the gods was it that sent you to me?
Iris answered it was Juno, the royal spouse of Jove.
But the son of Saturn does not know of my coming,
nor yet does any other of the immortals who dwell
on the snowy summits of Olympus. Then fleet Achilles answered her, saying,
how can I go into the battle? They have my armor?

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My mother forbade me to arm till I should see
her come, for she promised to bring me goodly armor
from Vulcan. I know no man whose arm I can
put on, save only the shield of Ajax, son of Telamon,
and he surely must be fighting in the front. Rank
and wielding his spear about the body of dead Betroclus.
Iris said, we know that your armor has been taken,

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But go as you are, go to the deep trench
and show yourself before the Trojans that they may fear
you and cease fighting. Thus will the fainting sons of
the Achaeans gain some brief breathing time, which in battle
may hardly be. Iris left him when she had so spoken,
But Achilles, dear to jove, arose, and Minerva flung her

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taseled egis round his strong shoulders. She crowned his head
with a halo of golden cloud, from which he kindled
a glow of gleaming fire, as the smoke that goes
up into heaven from some city that is being beleagued
on an island far out at sea. All day long,
de mend sally from the city and fight their hardest,
And at the going down of the sun, the line

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of beacon fires blazes forth, flaring high, for those that
dwell near them to behold, if so be, that they
may come with their ships and suck of them. Even
so did the light flare from the head of Achilles,
as he stood by the trench, going beyond the wall,
but he did not join the Achaeans, for he heeded
the charge which his mother laid upon him. There did

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he stand and shout aloud. Minerva also raised her voice
from Afar and spread terror unspeakable among the Trojans, ringing
as the note of a trumpet that sounds alarm when
the foe is at the gates of a city. Even
so brazen was the voice of the son of Aesus,
And when the Trojans heard its clarion tones, they were dismayed.

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The horses turned back with the chariots, for they boded mischief,
and their drivers were awe struck by the steady flame
which the gray eyed goddess had kindled above the head
of the great son of Pelius. Thrice did Achilles raise
his loud cry as he stood by the trench, And
thrice were the Trojans and their brave allies thrown into confusion,

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where on twelve of their noblest champions fell beneath the
wheels of their chariots and perished by their own spears.
The Achaeans, to their great joy, then drew Petroclus out
of reach of the weapons and laid him on a litter.
His comrade stood mourning round him, and among them fleet Achilles,
who wept bitterly as he saw his true comrade lying

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dead upon his bier. He had sent him out with
horses and chariots into battle, but his return he was
not to welcome. Then Juno sent the busy sun loth
though he was into the waters of Oceanus. So he sat,
and the Achaeans had rested from the tug and turmoil
of war. Now the Trojans, when they had come out

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of the fight, unyoked their horses and gathered in assembly
before preparing their supper. They kept their feet, nor had
any dare to sit down, for fear had fallen upon
them all because Achilles had shown himself after having held
aloof so long from battle. Beledimas, son of Panthous, was
first to speak, a man of judgment, who alone among

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them could look both before and after. Here was comrade Director,
and they had been born upon the same night with
all sincerity and good will. Therefore he addressed them, thus,
look to it well, my friends, I would urge you
to go back now to your city, and not wait
here by the ships till morning, for we are far
from our walls. So long as this man was at

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enmity with Agamemnon, the Achaeans were easier to deal with,
and I would have gladly camped by the ships in
the hope of taking them. But now I go in
great fear of the fleet son of Pelius. He is
so daring that he will never abide here on the
plain where on the Trojans and Achaeans fight with equal valor.
But he will try to storm our city and carry

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off our women. Do then as I say, and let
us retreat. But this is what will happen. The darkness
of night will for a time stay the son of Peleus.
But if he find us here in the morning, when
he sullies forth in full armor, we shall have knowledge
of him. In good, earnest clad. Indeed will he be
who can escape and get back to Ilias. And many

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a Trojan will become meat for dogs and vultures. May
I never live to hear it. If we do as
I say, little though he may like it, we shall
have strength in council during the night, and the great
gates with the doors that close them, will protect the city.
At dawn we can arm and take our stand on
the walls. He will then rue it. If he sallies

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from the ships to fighters. He will go back when
he has given his horses their fill of being driven
all withers under our walls, and will be in no
mind to try and force his way into the city.
Neither will he ever sack it. Dogs shall devour him
ere he do so. Hector looked fiercely at him, and answered, Polydamus,

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your words are not to my liking, in that you
bid us go back and be pent within the city.
Have you not had enough of being cooped up behind walls?
In the old days the city of Priam was famous
the whole world over for its wealth of gold and bronze.
But our treasures are wasted out of our houses, and
much goods have been sold away to frigier and fair Meonia.

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For the hand of Jove has been laid heavily upon us.
Now therefore, that the son of scheming Satin has vouchsafed
me to win glory here and to hem the Achaeans
in at their ships, prate no more in this fool's wise.
Among the people, you will have no man with you.
It shall not be do all of you as I
now say, take your suppers in your companies throughout the host,

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and keep your watches, and be wakeful, every man of you.
If any Trojan is uneasy about his possessions, let him
gather them and give them out among the people. Better
let these rather than the Achaeans have them. At daybreak,
we will arm and fight about the ships. Granted that
Achilles has again come forward to defend them, let it

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be as he will, but it shall go hard with him.
I shall not shun him, but will fight him to
fall or conquer. The god of war deals out like
measure to all, and the slayer may yet be slain.
Thus spoke Hector, and the Trojans fools that they were
shouted in applause, for Pallas Minerva had robbed them of

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their understanding. They gave ear to Hector with his evil counsel,
but the wise words of Polydamus no man would heed.
They took their supper throughout the host, and meanwhile through
the whole night the Achaeans mourned. Patroclus, and the son
of Pelias led them in their lament. He laid his
murderous hands upon the breast of his comrade, groaning again

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and again as the bearded lion when a man who
was chasing deer has robbed him of his young in
some dense forest. When the lion comes back, he is
furious and searches Dingle and Dell to track the under
if he can find him, For he is mad with rage.
Even so with many a side. Todically speak among the murmadon, saying,

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alas vain were the words with which I cheered the
hero Monoecius in his own house. I said that I
would bring his braves un back again to Opoesus, after
he had sacked Ilius and taken his share of the spoils.
But Jove does not give all men their heart's desire.
The same. Soil shall be reddened here at Troy by
the blood of us both, for I too shall never

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be welcomed home by the old knight Peleus, nor by
my mother Thetis. But even in this place shall the
earth cover me. Nevertheless, Opertroclus, now that I am left
behind you, I will not bury you till I have
brought hither they head an armor of mighty Hector, who
has slain you. Twelve noble sons of Trojans, will I

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behead before your bier to avenge you till I have
done so, you shall lie as you are by the ships.
And fair women of Troy and Dardanus, whom we have
taken with spear and strength of arm when we sacked
men's goodly cities, shall weep over you both night and day.
Then Achilles told his men to set a large tripod

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upon the fire, that they might wash the clotted gore
from off Petroclis. Thereon they set a tripod full of
bath water on to a clear fire. They threw sticks
on it to make it blaze, and the water became
hot as the flame played about the belly of the tripod.
When the water in the caldron was boiling, they washed
the body, anointed it with oil, and closed its wounds

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with ointments that had been kept nine years. Then they
laid it on a bier and covered it with a
linen cloth from head to foot, and over this they
laid a fair white robe. Thus, all night long did
the murmidons gather round Achilles to mourn Petrocolus. Then Jove
said to Juno, his sister wife, So, Queen Juno, you

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have gained your end and have roused fleet Achilles. One
would think that the Achaeans were of your own flesh
and blood. And Juno answered, dread son of Saturn, why
should you say this thing may not a man, though
he be only mortal, and knows less than we do,
do what he can for another person, and shall not.
I foremost of all goddesses, both by descent, and his wife,

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to you a reign in heaven, devise evil for the
Trojans if I am angry with them. Thus did they converse. Meanwhile,
Thetas came to the house of Vulcan, imperishable star bespangled,
fairest of the abodes in heaven, the house of Bronze,
wrought by the lame God's own hands. She found him

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busy with his bellows, sweating and hard at work, For
he was making twenty tripods that were to stand by
the wall of his house, and he set wheels of
gold under them, all that they might go of their
own selves to the assemblies of the gods and come
back again marvels indeed, to see they were finished, all
but the ears of cunning workmanship, which yet remained to

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be fixed to them. These he was now fixing, and
he was hammering at the rivets while he was thus
at work, silver footed Thetis came to the house Jares
of graceful head dress, wife to the far famed Lame God,
came towards her as soon as she saw her, and
took her hand in her own, saying, why have you
come to our house? Theaters honored and ever welcome, for

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you do not visit us often. Come inside and let
me set refreshment before you. The goddess led the way
as she spoke, and bad Thetis sit on a richly
decorated seat inlaid with silver. There was a footstool also
under her feet. Then she called Vulcan and said, Vulcan,
come here. Thetis wants you, And the far famed Lame

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God answered, then it is indeed an august and honored
goddess who has come here. She it was that took
care of me when I was suffering from the heavy fall,
which I had through my cruel mother's anger, For she
would have got rid of me because I was lame.
It would have gone hard with me had not youur
in a me the dater of the ever encircling waters
of Oceanus and Thetis taken me to their bosom. Nine

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years did I stay with them, And many beautiful works
in bronze brooches, spiral armlets, cups and chains did I
make for them in their cave, with the roaring waters
of Oceanus foaming as they rushed ever past it. And
no one knew, neither of gods nor men, save only
Thetis and Eurinemy, who took care of me. If then

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Thetis has come to my house, I must make a
jew requital for having saved me. Entertain her therefore with
all hospitality, while I put by my bellows and all
my tools on this The mighty monster hobbled off from
his anvil, his thin legs plying lustily under him. He
set the bellows away from the fire, and gathered his

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tools into a silver chest. Then he took a sponge
and washed his face and hands, his shaggy chest and
brawny neck. He donned his shirt, grasped his strong staff,
and limped wallwards the door. There were golden handmaids also
who worked for him, and were like real young women,
with sense and reason, voice also and strength, and all

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the learning of the immortals. These busied themselves as the
King bade them, while he drew near to Thetis seated
her upon a goodly seat and took her hand in
his own, saying, why have you come to our house?
Thetis honored and ever welcome, for you do not visit
as often. Say what you want, and I will do
it for you at once, if I can, and if

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it can be done at all. Thetis wept and answered, Vulcan,
is there another goddess in Olympus whom the son of
Satin has been pleased to try with so much affliction
as he has me? Me alone of the marine goddesses?
Did he make subject to a mortal husband, Pelias, son
of Aesus, And sorely against my will did I submit

(23:52):
to the embraces of one who was but mortal, and
who now stays at home, worn out with age. Neither
is this all? Heaven vouchsafed me a son hero among heroes,
and he shot up as a sapling. I tendered him
as a plant in a goodly garden, and sent him
with his ships to Ilius to fight the Trojans. But
never shall I welcome him back to the house of Pelius,

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so long as he lives to look upon the light
of the sun. He is in heaviness and though I
go to him, I cannot help him. King Agamemnon has
made him give up the maiden whom the sons of
the Achaeans had awarded him, and he wastes with sorrow
for her sake. Then the Trojans hemmed the Achaeans in
at their ships sterns, and would not let them come forth.

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The elders, therefore of the Argives besought Achilles and offered
him great treasure, whereon he refused to bring deliverance to
them himself, but put his own armor on Petroclus, and
sent him into the fight, with much people after him.
All day long they fought by the ski and gates,
and would have taken the city there, and then had
not Apollo vouchsafed glory to Hector and slain the valiant

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son of Minisias, after he had done the Trojans much evil. Therefore,
I am suppliant at your knees. If haply you may
be pleased to provide my son, whose end is near
at hand, with helmet and shield, with goodly grieves fitted
with ankle clasps, and with a breastplate, for he has
lost his own when his true comrade fell at the

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hands of the Trojans, and he now lies stretched on
earth in the bitterness of his soul. And Vulcan answered,
take art, and be no more disquieted about this matter.
Would that I could hide him from death's sight when
his hour is come, so surely as I can find
him armor that shall amaze the eyes of all who
behold it. When he had so said, he left her

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and went to his bellows, turning them towards the fire,
and bidding them do their office. Twenty bellows blew upon
the melting pots, and they blew blasts of every kind,
some fierce to help him when he had need of them,
and others less strong. As Vulcan willed it. In the
course of his work, he threw tough copper into the fire,
and tin with silver and gold. He set his great

(26:05):
anvil on its block, and with one hand grasped his
mighty hammer, while he took the tongs in the other. First,
he shaped the shield so great and strong, adorning it
all over and binding it round with a gleaming circuit
in three layers, and the baldric was made of silver.
He made the shield in five thicknesses, and with many

(26:25):
a wonder did his cunning hand in Richard. He wrought
the earth, the heavens, and the sea, the moon also
at her fall, and the untiring sun, with all the
signs that glorify the face of heaven, the Pleiads, the hyads,
huge Orion, and the bear, which men also called the Wain,
and which turns round ever in one place facing Orion,

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and alone never dips into the stream of Oceanas he
wrought also two cities, fair to see and busy with
the hum of men. In the one were weddings and
wedding feasts, and they were going about the city with brides,
whom they were escorting by torchlight from their chambers. Loud
rose the cry of hymen, and the youths danced to

(27:08):
the music of flute and lah, while the women stood
each at her house door to see them. Meanwhile, the
people were gathered in assembly, for there was a quarrel,
and two men were wrangling about the blood money for
a man who had been killed, the one saying before
the people that he had paid damages in full, and
the other that he had not been paid. Each was

(27:28):
trying to make his own case good, and the people
took sides. Each man backing the side that he had taken,
and the heralds kept them back, and the elders sat
on their seats of stone in a solemn circle, holding
the stays which the heralds had put into their hands.
Then they rose, and each in his turn gave judgment,
and there were two talents laid down to be given

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to him whose judgment should be deemed the fairest. About
the other city there lay encamped two hosts in gleaming armor,
and they were divided whether to sack it or to
spare it. In ext kept the half of what it contained.
But the men of the city would not yet consent,
and armed themselves for a surprise. Their wives and little
children kept guard upon the walls, and with them were

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the men who were past fighting through age. But the
others sallied forth, with Mars and Pallace Minerva at their head,
both of them wrought in gold and clad in gold
and raiment, great and fair, with their armor as befitting gods,
while they that followed were smaller. When they reached the
place where they would lay their ambush, it was on
a river bed to which live stock of all kinds

(28:33):
would come from far and near to water. Here. Then
they lay concealed, clad in full armor. Some way off them,
there were two scouts who were on the lookout for
the coming of sheep or cattle, which presently came followed
by two shepherds, who were playing on their pipes, and
had not so much as a thought of danger. When
those who were in ambush saw this, they cut off

(28:54):
the flocks and herds and killed the shepherds. Meanwhile, the besiegers,
when they heard my noise among the cattle, as they
sat in council, sprang to their horses and made with
all speed towards them. When they reached them, they set
battle in array by the banks of the river, and
the host aimed their bron shod spears at one another.
With them was strife and riot, and fell Fate, who

(29:17):
was dragging three men after her, one with a fresh
wound and the other unwounded, while the third was dead,
and she was dragging him along by his heel, and
her robe was bedrobbled in men's blood. They went in
and out with one another, and fought as though they
were living people, hailing away one another's dead. He wrought
also a fair fallow field, large and thrice plowed already.

(29:42):
Many men were working at the plow within it, turning
their oxen to and fro furrow after furrow. Each time
that they turned on reaching the headland, a man would
come up to them and give them a cup of wine,
and they would go back to their furrows, looking forward
to the time when they should again reach the headland.
The part that they had plowed was dark behind them,

(30:02):
so that the field, though it was of gold, still
looked as if it were being plowed. Very curious to behold,
he wrought us o a field of harvest corn, and
the reapers were reaping with sharp sickles in their hands.
Sway after swathe fell to the ground, and a straight
line behind them, and the binders bound them in bands
of twisted straw. There were three binders, and behind them

(30:26):
there were boys who gathered the cut corn in armfuls
and kept on bringing them to be bound. Among them all.
The owner of the land stood by in silence and
was glad. The servants were getting a meal ready under
an oak, for they had sacrificed a great ox and
were busy cutting him up, while the women were making
a porridge of much white barley for the laborer's dinner.

(30:48):
He wrought us o a vineyard golden and fair to see,
and the vines were loaded with grapes. The bunches overhead
were black, but the vines were trained on poles of silver.
He ran a ditch of dark metal all round it,
and fenced it with a fence of tin. There was
only one path to it, and by this the vintagers went.
When they would gather the vintage, youths and maidens, all

(31:12):
blithe and full of glee, carried the luscious fruit in
platted baskets. And with them there went a boy who
made sweet music with his lyre and sang the Leanos
song with his clear boyish voice. He wrought also a
herd of horned cattle. He made the cows of gold
and tin, and they loathed as they came full speed

(31:32):
out of the yards to go and feed among the
waving reeds that grow by the banks of the river.
Along with the cattle there went four shepherds, all of
them in gold, and their nine fleet dogs went with them.
Two terrible lions ad fastened on a bellowing bull that
was with the foremost cows, and bellow as he might.
They hailed him, while the dogs and men gave chase.

(31:55):
The lions tore through the bulls thick hide, and were
gorging on his blood and bow. But the herdsmen were
afraid to do anything, and only hounded on their dogs.
The dogs dared not fasten on the lions, but stood
by barking and keeping out of harm's way. The god
wrought also a pasture in a fair mountain dell, and
a large flock of sheep, with a homestead and huts

(32:18):
and sheltered sheep folds. Furthermore, he wrought a green like
that which deedless once made innosses for lovely Ariadne. Hereon
there danced youths and maidens, whom all would woo with
their hands on one another's wrists. The maidens wore robes
of light linen, and the youth's well woven shirts that
were slightly oiled. The girls were crowned with garlands, while

(32:42):
the young men had daggers of gold that hung by
silver baldrigs. Sometimes they would dance deftly in a ring
with merry twinkling feet. As it were a potter sitting
at his work and making trial of his wheel to
see whether it will run, and sometimes there would go
all in line with one another, and much people was
gathered joyously about the green. There was a bard also

(33:04):
to sing to them and play his lyre, while two
tumblers went about performing in the midst of them. When
the man struck up with his tune, all round the
outermost rim of the shield, he sat the mighty stream
of the river Oceanas then, when he had fashioned the
shield so great and strong, he made a breastplate also
that shone brighter than fire. He made a helmet close

(33:28):
fitting to the brow, and richly worked with a golden
plume overhanging it. And he made grieves also of beaten tin. Lastly,
when the famed lame god had made all the armor,
he took it and set it before the mother of Achilles,
whereon she darted like a falcon from the snowy summits
of Olympus, and bore away the gleaming armor from the

(33:50):
house of Vulcan. End of Section eighteen