Chryseis
heroChryseis was the priest's daughter whose captivity by Agamemnon and forced return sparked the quarrel with Achilles that drives the entire Iliad.
The Myth
When Agamemnon was forced to return Chryseis to her father the priest Chryses (after Apollo sent a plague), he took Achilles' war prize Briseis as compensation. This insult drove Achilles to withdraw from battle — the menis (wrath) that is the Iliad's opening word and central subject. The entire trajectory of the war hinges on this woman whom Agamemnon refused to release and then replaced.
Parents
Chryses (priest of Apollo)
Symbols
Fun Fact
The entire Iliad — the foundation of Western literature — is set in motion by Agamemnon's refusal to return one captive woman.
Explore Further
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