Briseis
In
Greek mythology,
Bris"ís (
Greek 'ρισηίς) was a
Trojan widow (from
Lyrnessus) who was abducted during the
Trojan War by
Achilles upon the death of her three brothers and husband, King Mynes of Lyrnessus, in the fight. After an
oracle forced
Agamemnon to give up
Chryseis, a woman he had captured, the king ordered his heralds
Talthybius and Eryrates to take Briseis from Achilles as compensation. Achilles was offended by this seizure and, as a result, withdrew from the fighting. He did not return to the fray until the death of
Patroclus.
The retirement of Achilles to his tent is the first event of
Homer's
Iliad. With Achilles removed from the conflict, the Trojans enjoyed a period of success. After Achilles' return to the fighting, Agamemnon restored Briseis to Achilles.
Briseis's real name was Hippodameia, "Briseis" being a patronym as a daughter of
Briseus.
In Homer, Briseis is Achilles' captive, given to him by the Greek army as a prize. He also loves her, comparing their relationship with that of man and wife, and is angry at the thought that Agamemnon sleeps with her. When the quarrel is resolved, Agamemnon swears to Achilles that he has never slept with Briseis.
[Iliad 9.334-343, 19.261-263.]In the 2004 film
Troy Briseis (played by
Rose Byrne) is portrayed as a cousin of Paris and Hector, a young woman who decided to become a priestess in the temple of Apollo. The film's depiction of Briseis departs from that of the Greek myths in several respects.
Achilles' men give her to him after they ravage the temple. Agamemnon takes Briseis and Achilles refuses to fight. After a devastating loss and retreat, Agamemnon agrees to give up Briseis. Achilles saves Briseis from the Greek men after they try to rape her. Achilles and Briseis fall in love and at one point Briseis inspires Achilles to go home.
Hector, believing that Patroclus is Achilles, kills Patroclus. Hector's action enrages Achilles to avenge Patroclus' death and thus kill
Hector. When King
Priam comes to get the body of his son, Achilles gives Briseis back to him. When the Greeks invade Troy, Achilles goes to find Briseis and save her. Briseis is taunted by Agamemnon and she kills him by stabbing a knife into his neck. Achilles saves her from being killed by Greek soldiers and tells her to come with him, but is interrupted by Paris who shoots him with arrows, the first into his heel, killing him to avenge his brother Hector.
In
Shadow of the Hegemon by
Orson Scott Card, the captivity of
Petra Arkanian is compared to that of Briseis.
In
The Firebrand by
Marion Zimmer Bradley, Briseis fell in love with Achilles and chose to leave Troy to be with him.
