304 LIGHT SCIENCE FOR LEISURE HOURS, 



' Iliad,' he would endeavour, by a suitable arrangement 

 of the plan of his narrative, to introduce the lines 

 whose recital had long since become familiar to him. 



Evidence of design in the introduction of the ' Shield 

 of Achilles ' certainly does not seem wanting. 



It is by no means necessary to the plot of the * Iliad ' 

 that Achilles should lose the celestial armour given 

 to Peleus as a dowry with Thetis. On the contrary, 

 Homer has gone out of his way to render the labours 

 of Vulcan necessary. Patroclus has to be so ingeni- 

 ously disposed of, that while the armour he had worn is 

 seized by Hector, his body is rescued, as are also the 

 horses and chariot of Achilles. 



We have the additional improbability that the ar- 

 mour of the great Achilles should fit the inferior warriors 

 Patroclus and Hector. Indeed, that the armour should 

 fit Hector, or rather that Hector should fit the armour, 

 the aid of Zeus and Ares has to be called in 



To this Jove's sable brows did bow ; and he made fit his limbs 

 To those great arms, to fill which up the war-god enter'd him 

 Austere and terrible, his joints and every part extends 

 With strength and fortitude. CJtapmaii's Translation. 



It is clear that the narrative would not have been 

 impaired in any way, while its probability and con- 

 sistency would have been increased, if Patroclus had 

 fought in his own armour. The death of Patroclus 

 would in any case have been a cause sufficient to 

 arouse the wrath of Achilles against Hector though 

 certainly the hero's grief for his armour is nearly as 

 poignant as his sorrow for his friend. 



