went four shepherds, all of them in gold, and
their nine fleet dogs went with them. Two terrible lions had fastened
on a bellowing bull that was with the foremost cows, and bellow as he
might they haled him, while the dogs and men gave chase: the lions tore
through the bull's thick hide and were gorging on his blood and bowels,
but the herdsmen were afraid to do anything, and only hounded on their
dogs; the dogs dared not fasten on the lions but stood by barking and
keeping out of harm's way.

The god wrought also a pasture in a fair mountain dell, and a large
flock of sheep, with a homestead and huts, and sheltered sheepfolds.

Furthermore he wrought a green, like that which Daedalus once made in
Cnossus for lovely Ariadne. Hereon there danced youths and maidens whom
all would woo, with their hands on one another's wrists. The maidens
wore robes of light linen, and the youths well woven shirts that were
slightly oiled. The girls were crowned with garlands, while the young
men had daggers of gold that hung by silver baldrics; sometimes they
would dance deftly in a ring with merry twinkling feet, as it were a
potter sitting at his work and making trial of his wheel to see whether
it will run, and sometimes they would go all in line with one another,
and much people was gathered joyously about the green. There was a bard
also to sing to them and play his lyre, while two tumblers went about
performing in the midst of them when the man struck up with his tune.

All round the outermost rim of the shield he set the mighty stream of
the river Oceanus.

Then when he had fashioned the shield so great and strong, he made a
breastplate also that shone brighter than fire. He made a helmet, close
fitting to the brow, and richly worked, with a golden plume overhanging
it; and he made greaves also of beaten tin.

Lastly, when the famed lame god had made all the armour, he took it and
set it before the mother of Achilles; whereon she darted like a falcon
from the snowy summits of Olympus and bore away the gleaming armour
from the house of Vulcan.

BOOK XIX

Achilles is reconciled with Agamemnon, puts on the armour
which Vulcan had made him, and goes out to fight.

NOW when Dawn in robe of saffron was hasting from the streams of
Oceanus, to bring light to mortals and immortals, Thetis reached the
ships with the armour that the god had given her. She found her son
fallen about the body of Patroclus and weeping bitterly.