Achilles
in Love
For
all the doubters out there, it is very clear in the Iliad that Achilles loved Briseis.
There several instances where Achilles has shown how much he cares for
her. In Book 1 Achilles cries for her to
his mother over her being taken by Agamemnon.
Then in Book 9, though only mentioned briefly Achilles says he loves her:
“Every
decent, sane man loves his woman and cares for her, as I did, loved her from my
heart. It doesn’t matter that I won her
with my spear. He took her, took her
right out of my hands, cheated me, and now he thinks he’s going to win me
back? He can forget it.” (Iliad 9.349-355).
The reason he wouldn’t forgive
Agamemnon is because of his pride that was slighted when she was taken. There were only a few days between the time
Briseis was taken and when Agamemnon made his proposal. This is clearly not enough time for Achilles
to get over the loss of his beloved Briseis.
She represented something he has always wanted: “I’ve always wanted to
take a wife there, a woman to have and to hold, someone with whom I can enjoy all
the goods old Peleus has won” (Il.
9.412-414). This is his true objective in
his life which is why he wanted to go back home and live long.
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