What is the purpose of the shield Hephaestus forges for Achilles? Could the shield represent the inner-workings of the ideal Man? As such, could it be an ironic rebuke of Achilles’ rage seen thus far in the Iliad? Could it even be an image of the ideal City of cities—with an eye toward Troy? In this episode, Colton considers this question as he races through Books 18–20 of Homer’s Iliad.