

Since Achilles is fated to die a glorious death in battle, an Achaean collapse will help give Achilles glory, allowing him to come to their aid. He calls to his mother Thetis, an immortal sea-nymph, and asks her to beseech Zeus to turn the tide of the war against the Achaeans. Achilles is enraged by Agamemnon’s demand and refuses to fight for Agamemnon any longer.Īchilles, the greatest of the Achaean fighters, desires revenge on Agamemnon. Agamemnon agrees reluctantly, but demands that he be given Briseis, the captive girl given to the warrior Achilles, as compensation. Calchas instructs Agamemnon to give back Chryses’ daughter. Desperate for an answer, the Achaeans ask the prophet Calchas about the plague’s cause. Chryses prays to Apollo to punish the Achaeans, and Apollo rains down a plague on the Achaean army. Chryses, a priest of Apollo from the sacked city, approaches the Achaean camp and asks Agamemnon, the leader of the Achaeans, to release his daughter, who is one of the captives, from slavery. The Achaeans have recently sacked a nearby city, taking several beautiful women captive along with a lot of treasure. The Achaeans raised a massive army and sailed to Troy, bent on winning Helen back by force.Īs the story begins, the war is in its ninth year. The conflict began when Paris, the son of Troy’s king Priam, seized a willing Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, from the Achaean king Menelaus. Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.The Iliad recounts a brief but crucial period of the Trojan War, a conflict between the city of Troy and its allies against a confederation of Greek cities, collectively known as the Achaeans.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.
