Briseis

Briseis was a captive woman in the Iliad whose seizure by Agamemnon causes Achilles to withdraw from battle. Although treated as a prize by the Greek commanders, Briseis also embodies the fate of women whose cities were destroyed during the Trojan War.

In Peter Tonkin’s The Anger of Achilles, Achilles and his Myrmidons occupy the ruined city with Odysseus and Aias, but Princess Briseis is the only survivor of the royal house. David Gemmel’s Troy: Shield of Thunder places Briseis within a narrative shaped by court politics and dynastic power, political ambition and government, and exploration, travel and cultural encounter. Other novels featuring Briseis include David Gemmel’s Troy: Fall of Kings.