As I read the excerpts about Achilles’ shield, I couldn’t help but read it as a sort of textual meta-image. The art described on the shield seemed to have some sense of self-awareness. Though the section of the shield (many of us placed this on the outer edges) describing the sun, moon, earth, stars, and gods did not really seem self-referential, the scenes involving people and the two cities did. While one city celebrates a marriage, the other is in a state of war, defending itself from outside attackers. Though no shield is directly referenced in this battle, it is not at all difficult to imagine the shield on which these images are crafted being used in a battle such as this, perhaps even this exact battle. It seems to subtly acknowledge itself as a shield through the art on its surface. Additionally, it is possible to interpret the images as representations of what the shield was built to protect. Since this shield was given to Achilles, a warrior who was not particularly hell-bent on mindless destruction and war, it is possible that the images suggest that the shield was made to protect humanity and all the other elements that the art encompasses. In that case, the description of the shield would be a textual meta-image because the art on the shield fully acknowledges itself.
