NEW THEORY OF ACHILLES' SHIELD. 309 



With eyes oblique retorted, that aslant 

 Shot gleaming flame. 1 Elton's Translation. 



We seem, also, to find a reference to the above-named 

 relations of the aquatic constellations, and specially to 

 the constellation Pisces : 



In the midst, 



Full many dolphins chased the fry, and show'd 

 As though they swarn the waters, to and fro 

 Darting tumultuous : two z of silver scale 

 Panting above the wave. 



For we learn from both ' shields ' that the waves of 

 ocean were figured in a position corresponding with 

 the above-mentioned position of the celestial equator, 

 beneath which that is, in the ocean, on our assump- 

 tionthe aquatic constellations were figured. The 



1 Compare the description of the constellation Draco by 

 Aratus : 



Swol'n is his neck eyes charg'd with sparkling fire 



His crested head illume. As if in ire 



To Helice he turns his foaming jaw 



And darts his tongue, barb'd with a blazing star. 



Lamb's Translation. 



2 It is scarcely necessary to remark that no importance is to be 

 attached to the numerical relations in this and other passages. In 

 the original work describing a zodiac-dome, the exact number of 

 constellations representing fishes, dogs', or the like, would of course 

 be mentioned; but any changes necessary to Homer's purpose in 

 describing a shield would unhesitatingly have been introduced by 

 him subsequently. It is singular, however, that we should have 

 here, and in the passage quoted farther on as referring to Orion and 

 the Dogs, the number two specially mentioned. The latter instance 

 is the more remarkable inasmuch as the mention of men and hares 

 would lead one to expect that more than two dogs would be 

 introduced. I would suggest as a sufficient reason for this pecu- 

 liarity that the verbal alterations necessary to pluralise some of the 

 objects in the dome would be more easily effected than those 

 necessary to undualise others. 



