Shield Sets

I was looking for a noun for all these images from the shield, then I came across the line:
Hephaestus then "set" - - - whatever image it was.

The first thing he created was a huge and sturdy shield.

Inigo, Sepia, both Umbers.

Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna.

Metal Blue,

The earth, the heavens, the sea, the moon.

By the light of blazing torches.

Two men were arguing over blood money owed. The elders were sitting there on polished stones.

the second city was surrounded by two armies ~ discussing two alternatives.

children women and elderly stayed on the walls, the rest had decided to leave



The soldiers reached a spot which seemed alright for an ambush.

Two scouts were stationed - two herdsmen came, playing flutes with sheep and long horned cattle.

The besiegers - - quickly climbed up behind their prancing ponies,

* * * and fought along the river banks. Strife and confusion joined the fight along with cruel death.

A soft and fallow field.

A kings estate where harvesters were reaping corn.

Under an oak tree heralds were setting up a feast.

A vineyard, grape pickers came and went - - a boy with a lyre.



Four herdsmen with nine dogs.



Two lions had seized a bellowing bull.



A lovely valley bottom.

An elaborately crafted dance floor.

After all these years I seem to be coming to some sort of conclusion over how the whole thing should look.

(All I need to do is show it somewhere I suppose!)

All the words:

The first thing he created was a huge and sturdy shield, all wonderfully crafted.

Around its outer edge, he fixed a triple rim glittering in the light,

attached to it a carrying strap.

The shield had five layers.

On the outer one, with his great skill he fashioned many rich designs.

There he hammered out the earth, the heavens the sea, 

the untiring sun, the moon at the full, along with every constellation which crowns the heavens-

the Pleiades, the Hyades, mighty Orion, and the bear which some people call the Wain,

always circling in the same position, watching Orion,

The only stars that never bathe in the ocean stream.

Then he created two splendid cities of mortal men.

In one, there were feasts and weddings.

By the light of blazing torches, people were leading the brides out of their homes

and through the town to loud music of the bridal song.

There were young lads dancing, whirling to the constant tunes of flutes and lyres,

while all the women stood beside their doors, staring in admiration.

Then the people gathered in the assembly, for a dispute had taken place.

Two men were arguing about blood money owed for a murdered man.

One claimed he'd paid in full, setting out his case before the people,

but the other was refusing any compensation.

Both were keen to get a judgment from the arbitration.

The crowd there cheered them on,

some supporting one, some the other,

while heralds kept the throng controlled.

Meanwhile, elders were sitting there on polished stones in the sacred circle,

holding in their hands the staffs they'd taken from the clear voiced heralds.

With those they'd stand up there and render judgment, each in his turn.

In the centre lay two golden talents,

to be awarded to the one among them all

who delivered the most righteous verdict.

The second city was surrounded by two armies,

soldiers with gleaming weapons. 

They were discussing two alternatives, each one pleasing some of them-

whether to attack that city and plunder it,

or to accept as payment half of all the goods in that fair town.

But those under siege who disagreed were arming for a secret ambush.

Their dear wives and children stood up on the walls as a defence,

along with those too old to fight. 

The rest were leaving,

led by Pallas Athena and Ares, both made of gold,

dressed in golden clothes, large, beautiful and armed-

as is suitable for the gods.

They stood out above the smaller people with them.

When the soldiers reached a spot which seemed alright for ambush,

a place beside a river where the cattle came to drink,

they stopped there covered in shining bronze.

Two scouts were stationed some distance from that army,

waiting to catch sight of sheep and short horned cattle.

These soon appeared, followed by two herdsmen playing their flutes and not anticipating any danger.

But those lying in ambush saw them and rushed out,

quickly cutting off the herds of cattle and fine flocks of white fleeced sheep,

Killing the herdsmen with them.

When the besiegers sitting in their meeting place

heard the great commotion coming from the cattle,

they quickly climbed up behind their prancing horses and set out.

They soon caught up with those attackers.

Then they organized themselves for battle and fought along the river banks,

men hitting one another with bronze tipped spears.

Strife and Confusion joined the fight, along with cruel Death,

who seized one wounded man while still alive

and then another man without a wound,

while pulling the feet of one more corpse out from the fight.

The clothes Death wore around her shoulders were dyed red with human blood

They even joined the slaughter as living mortals,

fighting there and hauling off the bodies of dead men

which each of them had killed.

On that shield Hephaestus next set a soft and fallow field,

fertile spacious farmland, which had been ploughed three times

Many labourers were wheeling ploughs across it,

moving back and forth.

As they reached the fields edge, they turned,

and a man came up to offer them a cup of wine as sweet as honey.

Then they'd turn back, down the furrow,

eager to move through that deep soil and reach the fields edge once again.

The land behind them was black,

looking as though it had just been ploughed,

though it was made of gold-an amazing piece of work!

Then he pictured on the shield a kings landed estate,

where harvesters were reaping corn, using sharp sickles.

Armfuls of corn were falling on the ground in rows, one after the other.

binders were tying them up in sheaves with twisted straw.

Three binders stood there.

Behind the reapers, boys were gathering the crop,

bringing it to sheaf-binders, keeping them occupied.

Among them stood the king

saying nothing, but with pleasure in his heart.

Some distance off, under an oak tree, heralds were setting up a feast,

dressing a huge ox which they'd just killed.

Women were sprinkling white barley on the meat

in large amounts for the workers meal.

Next, Hephaestus placed on that shield a vineyard,

full of grapes made of splendid gold.

The grapes were black, the poles supporting vines throughout were silver.

Around it, he made a ditch of blue enamel,

around that, a fence of tin.

A single path led in,

where the grape pickers came and went at harvest time.

Young girls and carefree lads with wicker baskets

were carrying off the crop as sweet as honey.

In the middle of them all, a boy with a clear toned lyre played pleasant music,

singing the Song of Linos,

in his delicate fine voice.

His comrades kept time,

beating the ground behind him, singing and dancing.

Then he set on the shield a herd of straight horned cattle,

with cows crafted out of gold and tin.

They were lowing as they hurried out from farm to pasture land,

beside a rippling river lined with waving reeds.

the herdsmen walking with the cattle, four of them,

were also made of gold.

Nine swift footed dogs ran on behind.

But there at the front of the herd,

two fearful lions had seized a bellowing bull.

They were dragging him off as he roared aloud.

The dogs and young men were chasing after them.

The lions, after ripping open the great ox's hide,

were gorging on its entrails, on its black blood,

as herdsmen kept trying in vain to chase them off,

setting their swift dogs on them.

But, fearing the lions,

the dogs kept turning back before they nipped them,

and stood there barking, close by but out of reach.

Then the famous crippled god created there a pasture

in a lovely valley bottom, an open ground

for white-fleeced sheep, sheep folds, roofed huts and pens.

Next on that shield, the celebrated lame god made an elaborately crafted dancing floor,

like the one Daedalus created long ago in spacious Cnossus,

for Ariadne with the lovely hair.

On that floor,

young men and women whose bride price would require many cattle

were dancing, holding onto one another by the wrists.

The girls wore fine linen dresses,

the men lightly rubbed with oil wore woven tunics.

on their heads the girls had lovely flower garlands.

The men were carrying golden daggers on silver straps.

They turned with such a graceful ease on skillful feet,

just as a potter sits with a wheel between his hands,

testing it, to make sure it runs smoothly.

then they would line up and run towards each other.

A large crowd stood around enjoying the dancing magic,

as in the middle two acrobats led on the dance,

springing, and whirling and tumbling.

On that shield,

Hephaestus then depicted Ocean, the mighty river,

flowing all around the outer edge.