And now they would run in rings on their skilled feet, nimbly, quick as a crouching potter spins his wheel, palming it smoothly, giving it practice twirls to see it run.

And now they would run in rings on their skilled feet,
nimbly, quick as a crouching potter spins his wheel,
palming it smoothly, giving it practice twirls
to see it run.

– Homer

The Iliad, Book 18, lines 700-703. Homer employs one of his wonderful epic similes in this depiction of young dancers, nimbly running in rings, as fast as a potter spinning his wheel. Described here is an image from the magnificent shield created for Achilles by Hephaestus, god of the forge.

Homer Quotes