ChryseisKhryseis

The daughter of the priest of Apollon, Khryses (Chryses); she and another girl, Briseis, were captured by the Greeks during the ninth year of the siege of Troy and were the basis for the bitter dispute between Agamemnon and Akhilleus (Achilles).

The girls were taken as slaves during raiding parties that the Greeks regularly conducted to supply their army with food and slaves; Khryseis was the “prize” of Agamemnon and Briseis was the “prize” of Akhilleus; when Khryseis’ father appealed to Agamemnon and offered a ransom for the return of his daughter, he was treated shamelessly, threatened and sent away; Khryses prayed to Apollon for revenge and his prayers were answered; Apollon rained arrows on the Greek army until Agamemnon relented and returned Khryseis to her father.

Now that Agamemnon was deprived of his prize he took the girl, Briseis, away from Akhilleus; Akhilleus was quick to anger and many harsh words were exchanged; the feud between Akhilleus and Agamemnon nearly cost the Greeks their victory over the Trojans.

• Iliad, book 1, lines 7+