Book 18 of Homer's Iliad contains a remarkable description of
the surface of Achilles' shield. Made by the god Hephaestus, the
lame blacksmith, the shield offers an enigmatic picture of life
in its totality: sun and moon, war and peace, city and country,
the seasonal endeavors of agriculture and pastoralism and
vintage, all encircled by the River Ocean. I like to think of
the shield as the god's silent, somber celebration of all the
possibilities of life beyond the Iliad: the city at war (i.e.,
life as it's lived in the Iliad) represents only a small part of
the whole. Above, a remarkable visualization not of Achilles'
shield but of the geography of the Homeric world, creator
unknown. (Click for a larger view.) If this picture were a real
snowglobe, I'd buy it in a second. More via the links: Homer’s
Snowdome (Strange Maps)(Thanks, TRH!) Homer's view of the earth
(henry-davis.com) An explanation (henry-davis.com)