East Aegean Sea - Scene of the War
Taking possession of my rightful due.
You can't blame the King for expecting booty in war; there has to be some sort of reparation for all the associated expense and risk involved. Therefore, after conquering the Troy-aligned town, Thebe, the sacred city of Eetion, it wouldn't be any surprise that Αχιλλευς and I would claim a couple of maidens as reward for our efforts.
I've always been secretly annoyed that I didn't choose Ηλενη over Ξλψτεμνεστρα when selecting a wife, so this time I made sure to be more thoughtful in my selection between our captives, Ξηρψσεις and Βρισηḯς. Ξηρψσεις is exquisite; even more so than Ξλψτεμνεστρα, but I should have known that nothing that good ever comes easy. Her father, Ξηρψσες tried to ransom his daughter back, but I just couldn't bring myself to give her up. What I didn't consider was that he was an Ἀπόλλων priest and had powerful connections to the god; his prayers for revenge to Ἀπόλλων were granted through an oracle, devastating my army through a malevolent plague. What else could I do but return my prize? I sent Οδψσσευς to return Ξηρψσεις to Ξηρψσες. This left the King, Αγαμεμνων, unrewarded, and Αχιλλευς—although a remarkable and accomplished warrior, not the king—rewarded. It just wasn't kosher; it made me look weak in comparison. A king, especially in times of war, cannot afford to look weak. Αχιλλευς should have understood my position; instead he begrudged me this small thing. I had no choice but to take Βρισηḯς!
Although Αχιλλευς relented, allowing Βρισηḯς to come into my possession, he took my action personally. By then refusing to fight, he diminished the moral and strength of the troops. This thoughtless action by Αχιλλευς served to magnify the woes of our people by increasing troop casualties, eventually leading to the untimely death of his closest friend, Πατροκλυς.
http://www.stanford.edu/~plomio/briseis.html
In spite of this grim circumstance, Νεστωρ came to me in my dreams, telling me that I could take Troy if I attacked their walls head-on. The next day, inspired, I gathered all the men together. To test their valor and dedication, I told them we were giving up and going home to our families. Imagine my surprise when they headed for the ships in agreement! Thank the gods for Οδψσσευς, who, inspired by Αθηνη, reinvigorated the men to go on with their vows of honor. After reorganizing the men to reveal the bravest leaders among them, we were ready and willing to rejoin the fight anew.
Nestor appears in a dream to Agamemnon
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