lions which the herdsmen and their dogs are trying to beat off (573–86). A picture of a sheep farm (587–89). A dancing floor where young men and women are dancing and courting (590–606). The great stream of Ocean (607–609). Interpretations The shield of Achilles can be read in a variety of different ways. One interpretation is that the shield represents a microcosm of civilization, in which all aspects of life are shown. The depiction of law suggests the existence of social order within one city, while feuding armies depict a darker side of humanity. The imagery of nature and the universe also reinforce the belief that the shield is a microcosm of Greek life, as it can be seen as a reflection of their perception of the world. In a poetic and descriptive way, some scholars read it as a summation of the whole of human knowledge in the Homeric era. Also, the sun and the moon are shown shining simultaneously, which some consider representative of a general understanding of the universe and awareness to the cosmological order of life. The shield shows images of conflict and discord by depicting the shield's layers as a series of contrasts – i.e. war and peace, work and festival. Wolfgang Schadewaldt, a German writer, argues that these intersecting antitheses show the basic forms of a civilized, essentially orderly life. This contrast is also seen as a way of making “us…see [war] in relation to peace.". References External links Iliad 18. 490–508. Book 8 of The Aeneid. Available in English. W. H. Auden's "The Shield of Achilles". Greek shields Mythological shields Achilles Iliad Hephaestus