tall and fair, and skilful in splendid
handiwork."[50]

[Illustration: Fig. 4.
Pallas Athene attired in the sacred peplos.
(Panathenaic Vase, British Museum.)]

Homer never tires of praising the women's work, and the chests of
splendid garments laid up in the treasure-houses.[51] Helen gave of
her work to Telemachus: "Helen, the fair lady, stood by the coffer
wherein were her robes of curious needlework which she herself had
wrought. Then Helen, the fair lady, lifted it out, the widest and most
beautifully embroidered of all--and it shone like a star; and this she
sent as a gift to his future wife."[52]

Semper's theory is, that the one chief import of Oriental style being
embroideries, therefore the hangings and dresses arriving from Asia
gave the poetic Greek the motives for his art, his civilization, his
legends, and his gods.[53] This may or may not be; there is no doubt
that they influenced them.[54]

Boettiger accordingly believes that Homer's descriptions of beautiful
dress and furnishings are derived from, or at least influenced by,
what he had learnt of the Babylonian and Chaldean embroideries. This
is very probable, and would account for his poetical design on the
shield of Achilles, in which his own inspiration dictated the
possibilities of the then practised arts of Asia, of which the fame
and occasional glimpses were already drifting westward. (Plate 5.)

The description of the shield of Achilles is as follows: Hephaistos,
"the lame god," "threw bronze that weareth not, into the fire; and
tin, and precious gold and silver." "He fashioned the shield great and
strong, with five folds (or circles) in the shield itself." "Then
wrought he the earth and the sea, and the unwearying sun, and the moon
waxing to its full, and the signs, every one wherewith the heavens are
crowned." "Also he fashioned therein two cities of mortal men; and
here were marriage feasts, and brides led home by the blaze of
torches--young men whirling in the dance, and the women standing each
at her door marvelling." Then a street fight, and the elders sitting
in judgment. The other city was being besieged; and there is a
wonderful description of the battle fought on the river banks, and
"Strife, Tumult, and Death" personified, and mingling in the fight.
Then he set in the shield the labours of the husbandman. This is so
exquisitely beautiful that with difficulty I refrain from quoting it
all. "He wrought thereon a herd of