3-075-348 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Briseis Given Back to Achilles, between 1630 and 1631. This small panel is part of a series of eight oil sketches made for a group of tapestries depicting the story of Achilles, one of the heroes of the Greek epic poem the Illiad. As if on a stage, all the important characters are present. During the Greeks' campaign against Troy, Achilles had been awarded the lovely Briseis as part of his share of the booty. When the expedition leader Agamemnon took her for himself, Achilles refused to participate in any further battles. He reconsidered, however, after his best friend Patroclus was killed and Agamemnon restored Briseis untouched to him.