This photograph of an artwork by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696–1770) shows a pivotal scene that occurred during the Trojan War. In particular, the artwork depicts a Trojan captive named Briseis being brought to the Greek commander, Agamemnon. In the prelude to the depicted image, Briseis had been captured alongside another woman named Chryseis. At the initial time of capture, Agamemnon had taken custody of Chryseis as his captive, and Briseis was claimed by Achilles. Yet, in a divine twist, it turned out that Chryseis was the daughter of a priest of Apollo, and the god punitively lashed out after the girl’s capture by ravaging the Greek army with a terrible plague. King Agamemnon, in order to end the plague, reluctantly decided to return Chryseis to her father, the priest. The king, however, was loath to lose his spoils of war. Agamemnon felt entitled to make up for his losses by taking a replacement captive from one of the other leaders in his army—in particular, he wanted Briseis, who was with Achilles. The famous hero balked at the demand, but King Agamemnon, who was the leader of the Greek coalition, ultimately used his authority and status to force Achilles to give up Briseis. Homer described the scene in The Iliad, writing, “Agamemnon did not forget his quarrel with Achilles and the threat he had made at the assembly. He spoke to Talthybius and Eurybates, his heralds and busy attendants: ‘Go to Achilles’ hut, take fair-cheeked Briseis by the hand and bring her here” (Homer, The Iliad, book 1, approximately line 320). It is this scene of Talthybius and Eurybates bringing Briseis to Agamemnon that Tiepolo re-creates in his artwork.
Written by C. Keith Hansley
Sources:
- The Iliad by Homer, translated by E. V. Rieu and edited/introduced by Peter Jones. New York: Penguin Classics, 2014.
- https://www.europeana.eu/en/item/2024903/photography_ProvidedCHO_KU_Leuven_9991179520101488
