Did Achilles Love Patroclus And Briseis?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Achilles and Briseis are not lovers or a tragic

. Their story is far darker and more sinister. Achilles, the famed Greek hero, is a kidnapper and potentially a rapist, though it is never made clear whether he has intercourse with his victim.

Why did Achilles love Briseis?

When Odysseus, Ajax, and Phoenix visit Achilles to negotiate her return in book 9, Achilles refers to Briseis as his wife or his bride.

He professes to have loved her as much as any man loves his wife

, at one point using Menelaus and Helen to complain about the injustice of his ‘wife' being taken from him.

Did Achilles Love Briseis in the Iliad?

Achilles slew Mynes and the brothers of Briseis (children of Briseus), then received her as his war prize. Even though she was a war prize,

Achilles and Briseis fell in love with each other

, and Achilles may have gone to Troy intending to spend much time in his tent with her, as was portrayed in the movie.

Did Achilles fall in love in the Iliad?

Achilles slew Mynes and the brothers of Briseis (children of Briseus), then received her as his war prize. Even though she was a war prize,

Achilles and Briseis fell in love with each other

, and Achilles may have gone to Troy intending to spend much time in his tent with her, as was portrayed in the movie.

Who is Achilles lover in the Iliad?

In the Warner Bros. movie “Troy,”

Briseis

plays the love interest of Achilles. Briseis is portrayed as a war prize given to Achilles, taken by Agamemnon, and returned to Achilles. Briseis is a virgin priestess of Apollo.

Why did Achilles cry?

In book 23 of the Iliad, after Achilles has killed Hector and had his corpse dragged back to the Greek ships, he cries

because he is mourning his beloved friend Patroclus, and he sees Hector's death as an act of vengeance

.

Did Helen love Paris?

Paris chose Aphrodite and therefore Helen. Helen was already married to King Menelaus of Sparta (a fact Aphrodite neglected to mention), so Paris had to raid Menelaus's house to steal Helen from him – according to some accounts,

she fell in love with Paris

and left willingly.

Who Killed Achilles in Troy?

Achilles is killed by an arrow, shot by

the Trojan prince Paris

. In most versions of the story, the god Apollo is said to have guided the arrow into his vulnerable spot, his heel. In one version of the myth Achilles is scaling the walls of Troy and about to sack the city when he is shot.

Why did Thetis hate Patroclus?

She hates Patroclus. Thetis tells 12 year old Achilles that she wishes to meet Patroclus. Patroclus is afraid because of

her reputation for hating mortals

. She tells him that Achilles will be a god, and asks him if he understands.

Did Briseis and Achilles have a child?

Despite rumors of his homosexual tendencies,

Achilles did have a child

—a son, born from a brief during the Trojan War. However, after Achilles entered the Trojan War, Briseis, the daughter of the Trojan priest of Apollo named Chryses, was given to Achilles as a war prize.

Did Achilles sleep with Patroclus?


He only slept with one woman twice

, after all. And it was because his mother had said that if he slept with her, she would tell Patroclus where he was. So it wasn't out of desire, but out of necessity and manipulation, again.

Why did Achilles refuse fight?

When Achilles was fighting under Agamemnon, slaves were taken in the Trojan territory as the Greeks moved across the land, sacking and looting along the way. Why did Achilles refuse to fight?

He was angry because Agamemnon took his war-prize from him, his slave-bride Briseis.

Did Achilles and Patroclus sleep together?

Patroclus insists she doesn't want to and begins to panic. Patroclus remembers how Achilles describes him

and Patroclus sleeping together

and how Achilles says he was thinking of him. … As Patroclus leaves Deidameia asks him to tell Achilles she says goodbye. Patroclus tries to convince himself it didn't happen.

Was Hector afraid of Achilles?

In fact,

Hector is actually too scared to face Achilles

, which is why Achilles chases him around the city walls. Hector does not have the courage to face Achilles until the goddess Athene appears beside Hector in the form of his brother Deiphobos.

Did Achilles feel bad about killing Hector?

For Achilles, fighting in a war against the Trojans is a mark of and heroic mettle. … Achilles,

stunned and enraged, refuses

, stating that Hector's death is apt retribution for the murder of Patroclus.

Did Hector really fight Achilles?

As depicted in Homer's The Iliad, Hector is one of the principal defenders of Troy, and he very nearly won the war for the Trojans. … As the Greeks stormed the Trojan castle,

Hector came out to meet Achilles in single combat

—wearing the fateful armor of Achilles taken off the body of Patroclus.

Maria LaPaige
Author
Maria LaPaige
Maria is a parenting expert and mother of three. She has written several books on parenting and child development, and has been featured in various parenting magazines. Maria's practical approach to family life has helped many parents navigate the ups and downs of raising children.