Inner Ring: JUDGEMENT OF THE ELDERS. From the Shield of Achilles by Kathleen Vail
© All Rights Reserved

“The Elders each sat in the sacred circle on seats of smooth-polished marble.
The honored staff of the clear-speaking Herald each carried in his hand,
And using it both for support and oration, each stood and spoke in turn.
Placed in the center were two bars of gold as a prize for the straightforward judge
Who would best decide how to solve the issue, and speak most righteously.”

[Homer’s Iliad, Book 18, Lines 505-508, Vail’s translation]