In ancient Greece there was a belief that an equal, but justified, negative event offset every positive event. Likewise, a positive experience justified every negative escapade. This Greek belief is apparent in the epic Iliad by Homer in the scenes that Hephaistos fashions onto Achilleus new battle shield. The scenes painted on Achilleus new shield reflect to the reader the belief that the Greeks had in balance in their lives. In one such spectacle Hephaistos depicts a Greek wedding tradition. Men are leading their wives along the city from their maiden chambers, under flaring torches, as the bride song is played loudly. The people were assembled in a marketplace as a fight has broken out between two men over the blood price for a man who had been killed. The tone of this scene starts off very wondrous and happy. As in Greek tradition an event takes place that doesnt, in this situation, necessarily have a negative effect on the scene but is more of an annoyance to the couples. This fight is an example of how a negative event offsets an enjoyable occasion. In another scene Hephaistos depicts the field of a King whose villagers are harvesting his field in an annual event. Hephaistos describes how the reapers reap the wheat and the sheaf-binders follow to bundle the crop together. As this is happening, the village women are gathering barley for the men to eat as they work. Away from the field, a slaughtered ox is being prepared for all to enjoy. The king stands by watching happily as his people come together for this annual affair. As the workers continue their harvest, herdsmen are taking their cattle out to graze in a field. As the herdsman move the cattle onward, two dire lions grab hold of a bull and begin to kill and eat it. The herdsmen try to set their dogs on the lions but they are unsuccessful. The dogs take a close stand but cannot scare off the fearless lions. This is a great example of the equilibrium in life which Greeks be...
