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The Song of Achilles
by Miller, Madeline
Contents
Chapter Twenty-Five
Summary
- The chapter begins with the description of a young girl, Chryseis, being taken by Agamemnon as his possession. She is a priest's daughter and marked as a servant to a god.
- A month later, Chryseis's father, Chryses, comes to the Greek camps demanding his daughter's return. He offers a large ransom for her release.
- Agamemnon arrogantly refuses to return Chryseis, despite the admonition from his men and religious figures. He threatens Chryses, who departs bitterly.
- A deadly plague descends upon their camp that night, first affecting the mules and dogs, and by the next morning, infecting dozens of men, causing gory and painful deaths.
- Despite heavy losses and suspicion of divine wrath caused by the slighting of Apollo's priest Chryses, Agamemnon refuses to address the issue. Achilles calls a meeting, highlighting the necessity to appease the angered god, in which priest Calchas confirms their suspicions.
- Agamemnon gets infuriated by Achilles trying to broker a peace and takes Achilles's war prize, Briseis, as his own, to make up for the loss of Chryseis.
- This act drives an intense rage in Achilles, who swears that he will no longer fight for Agamemnon's army and predicts a grim fate for those who remain in allegiance to Agamemnon.