ABSTRACT
How far do the scenes depicted on the shield of Achilles form a coherent structure reflecting early Indo-European patterns of thought, as understood by Dumézil’s trifunctionalism or by pentadic theory? The shield is organized into boss, concentric bands, and rim, and Yoshida in 1964 connected the bands to the classical functions (roughly, city at peace, F1; city at war, F2; agriculture, F3); but the firmament at the centre and Ocean at the rim doubtless reflect F4+ and F4−.
The agricultural scenes show ploughing, grain harvest, grape harvest, cattle rearing and sheep, the two forms of livestock reflecting an Indo-European distinction between larger and smaller domesticated animals. This distinction is situated by Watkins within an Indo-European taxonomy of wealth that also includes ‘grain and grape’ and metals. So the F3 part of the shield largely corresponds to Watkins’ taxonomy (metals being used in making the shield). But it can also be analyzed functionally: ploughing, F4+; grain harvest with sacrifice, F1; grape harvest, F2; paired livestock scenes, F3; (non-living) metals, F4−. If so, the pentadic ideology is reflected both in the shield as a whole and within one of its component parts.
