AJ Bollinger

Professor Insalaco

CL CV 201

7 April 7, 2020

The Shield of Aeneas

A shield is, “a broad piece of metal or another suitable material, held by straps or a handle attached on one side, used for protection” (Lexicon). This piece of equipment, a shield, was your best friend centuries ago during the Greek and Roman periods. All soldiers owned shields to protect themselves for when they went to battle which would hopefully allow them to stay alive and win the battle. Shields could be decorated with all kinds of symbols and memories for the owner of the shield and some of these shields became very meaningful and memorable with diverse symbolism representing their cultures. The two most memorable shields of all time may be the shield of Achilles and the shield of Aeneas. The reason they were so memorable is because of the incredible symbolism and imagery that appear on them. These images and symbols represent a great part of each of their cultures.

The shield of Achilles has images that, “depict scenes of war and peace” (Course Hero). This imagery describes the life of Achilles perfectly, either he is at war or at peace. Achilles is one of the greatest warriors of all time and has received great glory and honor, which he died to receive. The shield also portrays, “scenes of everyday life including conflict or violence that evokes the brutality of war. The circular dance symbolizes the endlessness of time, and the Ocean River that runs around all the images also bounds the world without end” (Course Hero). These images represent the culture of Greece in great detail especially with the symbolism of the ocean river that goes around the entire shield. The Greeks were great sailors and dominated the oceans with a strong Navy. This was their main way of communication and to travel from place to place. The shield of Achilles is one of the most symbolic objects in all of Homer’s writings.

Standing right next to the fame of Achilles shield is the shield of Aeneas, also because of the incredible symbolism and imagery. The shield of Aeneas is strikingly different when compared with the shield of Achilles. Achilles shield primarily depicts present events and what was are going on during his life. It is less detailed and less specific with names, places, and events. The shield of Aeneas is mainly depicting the future of Rome and specific names, events, and places. In The Essential Aeneid, Virgil writes, “on the shield of Aeneas the Fire God had prophetically wrought the future of Italy, and Roman triumphs in the coming ages, every generation, in order, still to be born from the stock of Ascanius, and all the wars they would fight.” This can all be seen in the shield of Aeneas. Front and center on the shield is the image of Augustus Caesar, large and taking up much of the space. He was idolized and was a hero in the eyes of all the Romans. The shield contained images of all the people that Rome would conquer and the battles they would win, such as the Battle of Actium. The shield contained the history of Rome from the founding of Rome by Romulus and Remus to the Res Publica and story of Lucretia and Brutus. Many of the great events and people were what made up the shield of Aeneas. It depicted all of the future glory of Rome and was a masterpiece. This shield, along with the shield of Achilles, although different in many aspects are some of the most famous shield in all of history because of the great imagery and symbolism.

The Shield of Zimbabwe

A magnificent people that I lived among for two full years are the people of Zimbabwe. I haven’t met, nor think I will ever meet, a more wonderful people than the people of Zimbabwe. A shield representing the culture of Zimbabwe can beautifully be depicted by the example of their national flag. The flag is quite unique, composed of four colors, a red star, and a bird. According to the website, World Population, as well as the hundreds of Zimbabweans I asked, “The colors represent the agriculture of the land, the mineral wealth of the nation, the blood shed during the struggle for independence, and the race and ethnicity of the Zimbabwean people.” On the flag, the four colors are green, yellow, red, and black. The green represents agriculture, which is a huge part of life for most Zimbabweans. Most are either larger farmers who sell crops to the markets or small farmers who grow their own food. They used to be the breadbasket of Africa until hard times came to them. There would be a farm or farmer on the shield. The yellow represents the mineral wealth of the nation, which is also a huge part of their culture. There is countless gold, silver, platinum, and other mines for minerals and precious materials (I almost became a part owner of one myself). There would be a piece of gold or a gold mine on the shield. The red represents the blood that was shed during their struggle for independence. Every single Zimbabwean you’ll meet is proud of their great victory for independence. They are a fierce people, proud to be free and independent and are also the hardest working people I have ever met in my life. There would be a sword or solider on the shield to represent this part of the culture. The black represents the black majority race in Zimbabwe, which is another thing they are passionate about. In two years of living there, I saw less than ten people of another race. Although they are black majority, they are open and respectful to all different races and people. There would be a smiling Zimbabwean helping others to depict this aspect on the shield. The flag also contains a bird and a red star. The bird, called a soapstone bird, “represents a statuette that was found in the Great Zimbabwe ruins. This emblem represents the history of the nation.” Zimbabweans are proud of the history of their nation, growing from different kings and rulers to the government they have today. This soapstone bird would be at the center of the shield. And lastly, the red star symbolizes, “the aspirations of the nation.” The people of Zimbabwe have great aspirations and desires to accomplish great things and do good in the world. They want to be a star in the lives of other people and help others to become better. This red star would appear on the shield. All these different symbols and images would make up the wonderful shield of Zimbabwe that would give the shields of Achilles and Aeneas a run for their money. The people are Zimbabwe are phenomenal and their culture is one of the most unique in the world and undoubtedly their shield would be one of the most famous.

Works Cited

          “The Iliad Symbols.” Course Hero, www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Iliad/symbols/.

“Shield: Definition of Shield by Lexico.” Lexico Dictionaries | English, Lexico Dictionaries, www.lexico.com/en/definition/shield.

Virgil, and Stanley Lombardo. The Essential Aeneid. Hackett Pub. Co., 2006.

“Zimbabwe Flag.” Zimbabwe Flag Meaning (Download SVG, PNG), worldpopulationreview.com/flags/zimbabwe/.