The War That Killed Achilles by Caroline Alexander

Author:Caroline Alexander
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Penguin Group US

“ ‘I wish that I could hide him away from death’ ”—Hephaistos knows as well as Thetis does that this cannot be done. The smith of the gods can make tripods with magic wheels, a brazen house for every Olympian, gates of the sky “moving of themselves,” even golden attendants “in appearance like living young women,” capable of speech and intelligence—all such wonders he can work, but he cannot hide the son of Thetis from his fated death.

Back at his forge, with twenty self-propelled bellows blowing on the crucibles, Hephaistos casts bronze, tin, gold, and silver and with hammer and anvil begins his work. The first piece of armament he turns to is Achilles’ shield. “Huge and heavy,” it is composed of five overlapping folds of metal and has a “triple rim” for additional strength:... and upon it

he elaborated many things in his skill and craftsmanship.

He made the earth upon it, and the sky, and the sea’s water,

and the tireless sun, and the moon waxing into her fullness,

and on it all the constellations that festoon the heavens. . . .

On it he wrought in all their beauty two cities of mortal

men. And there were marriages in one, and festivals.

They were leading the brides along the city from their maiden

chambers

under the flaring torches, and the loud bride song was arising. . . .

But around the other city were lying two forces of armed men

shining in their war gear. For one side counsel was divided

whether to storm and sack, or share between both sides the

property

and all the possessions the lovely citadel held hard within it. . . .

He made upon it a soft field, the pride of the tilled land,

wide and triple-ploughed, with many ploughmen upon it

who wheeled their teams at the turn and drove them in either

direction. . . .

The earth darkened behind them and looked like earth that has

been ploughed

though it was gold. Such was the wonder of the shield’s forging.

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