From tjenkins@trinity.edu Sun Nov 4 09:48:34 2001 Received: from mailscan3.cac.washington.edu (mailscan3.cac.washington.edu [140.142.32.15]) by lists.u.washington.edu (8.11.6+UW01.08/8.11.6+UW01.10) with SMTP id fA4HmXn86902 for ; Sun, 4 Nov 2001 09:48:33 -0800 Received: FROM mxu4.u.washington.edu BY mailscan3.cac.washington.edu ; Sun Nov 04 09:48:29 2001 -0800 Received: from tucc-exchange.trinity.edu (tucc15.tucc.trinity.edu [131.194.151.15]) by mxu4.u.washington.edu (8.11.6+UW01.08/8.11.6+UW01.10) with ESMTP id fA4HmT916197 for ; Sun, 4 Nov 2001 09:48:29 -0800 Received: from [131.194.139.10] (tjenkins.clas.trinity.edu [131.194.139.10]) by tucc-exchange.trinity.edu with SMTP (Microsoft Exchange Internet Mail Service Version 5.5.2653.13) id V27GNH07; Sun, 4 Nov 2001 11:43:37 -0600 Mime-Version: 1.0 X-Sender: tjenkins@exchange.trinity.edu (Unverified) Message-Id: Date: Sun, 4 Nov 2001 11:49:20 -0600 To: classics@u.washington.edu From: "Thomas E. Jenkins" Subject: Re: How was Chryseis captured? Cc: Casey Due Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="============_-1207226335==_ma============" --============_-1207226335==_ma============ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" ; format="flowed" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable To the list: I forwarded (part) of the Chryseis/Briseis thread to Casey Du=E9, who I knew was working on Briseis as part of her research; she hopes that her response (below) is helpful. I'll forward on to her any additional classics posts! -Tom Jenkins >Date: Sun, 04 Nov 2001 11:40:40 -0600 >Subject: Re: How was Chryseis captured? >From: Casey Du=E9 Hackney >To: "Thomas E. Jenkins" >CC: > >Dear all, > >I do not subscribe to the classics list, but a friend has told me >that you have been discussing the capture of Chryseis. I am in the >final stages of preparing a book on Briseis (Homeric Variations on a >Lament by Briseis, forthcoming very soon from Rowman and Littlefield >Press), in which I touch on this issue. Here is what I discovered in >the course of my research. I apologize if this repeats information >you have already gathered. [Greek text may or may not come through >by email, I will include it anyway.] > >In terms of the Iliad the sacks of Lyrnessos (the city in which >Briseis was captured) and Thebe (in which the brothers of Andromache >were killed) took place on a single campaign (Iliad 2.690-91.). In >this same sack of Thebe Chryseis was taken and given as a prize to >Agamemnon. Andromache was already living in Troy as Hektor's wife at >the time of the raid. > >According to most interpretations of the relevant passages, Briseis >and Chryseis were born in Brisa and Chryse [on the island of >Lesbos], but then moved to Lyrnessos and Thebe when they married >[See the commentary of Leaf 1900-1902 at 1.37 and 184, 2.690, and >19.286.]. Achilles captured them when he sacked these towns in a >series of raids that took place just before our Iliad begins. We may >compare the following passages: > >"x=D2mey' =A7w Y=C6bhn =FEer=D8n p=D2lin =C9Het=A4vnow, >t=D8n d=A2 diepr=E3yom=B0n te ka=D0 =84gomen =A7ny=E3de p=E3nta: >ka=D0 t=E5 m=A2n e=D4 d=E3ssanto met=E5 sf=A4sin u=C2ew =C9Axai=ABn, >=A7k d' =DFlon =C9Atre=9Bd=99 Xrush=9Bda kallip=E3r=99on. (Iliad 1.366-369) > >We went to Thebe the holy city of E=EBtion, >and we sacked it and brought everything here. >And the sons of the Achaeans divided up everything well among themselves, >and they chose beautiful-cheeked Chryseis for the son of Atreus. > >ke=F0to g=E5r =A7n n=C6essi pod=E3rkhw d=F0ow =C9Axille=C1w >ko=CArhw xv=D2menow Brish=9Bdow =B1#k=D2moio, >t=D8n =A7k Lurnhsso=CB =A7je=A4leto poll=E5 mog=C6saw >Lurnhss=DAn diapory=C6saw ka=D0 te=A4xea Y=C6bhw, >k=E5d d=A2 M=CAnht' =B6balen ka=D0 =C9Ep=A4strofon =A7gxesim=97rouw >(Iliad 2.688-693) > >For swift-footed brilliant Achilles lay among his ships >angered over the fair-haired girl Briseis >whom he took from Lyrnessos with great toil, >when he sacked Lyrnessos and the walls of Thebe, >and he slew the spearfighters Mynes and Epistrophus. > >In the first passage Achilles narrates his own deeds (and those of >his comrades) in the sack of Thebe. The Achaeans chose Chryseis out >of the spoils of the town as a prize for Agamemnon. In the second >passage, the master narrator recounts Achilles' sack of Lyrnessos, >after which he chose Briseis as his prize. The close relationship >between the sacks of the two cities is reflected above all in line >2.692, in which the narrator includes both towns as part of a single >expedition, even though the subject of this particular >micronarrative is Lyrnessos. > >If Chryseis was married, as with Hekamede [see Iliad 11.624-627] we >never learn the name of her husband. Instead Chryseis and Hekamede >(and likewise Briseis) are associated with their fathers and >referred to as kour=EA or alternatively as thugat=EAr (daughter; >11.626). War prizes, in fact, seem to be eternal kourai, whether >married or not. In the Iliad and Odyssey, women whose husbands have >been killed revert to their father's household: once widowed, they >become girls again. > >[On the detail that Briseis must have been in Lyrnessos because of >marriage (and likewise Chryseis in Thebe), see Taplin 1992, 84-86 >and arguments (with bibliography) ad loc. For Chryseis, see also >Leaf 1912, 244.] > >On the location of these cities: >Lyrnessos, Pedasos, and Thebe are thought to be located very close >to one another near Mt. Ida, not far from the gulf of Adramyttion. >All of these cities are located near the coast opposite Lesbos, >historically within the political sphere of Mytiline. Lyrnessos and >Thebe in particular are closely related in the ancient sources. >Aeschylus' Phrygians for example (as cited in the scholia to >Euripides' Andromache) refers to Lyrnessos as the birthplace of >Andromache, even though everwhere else in Greek literature she is >said to come from Thebe. > >For a complete compendium of all ancient testimonia regarding the >location of Lyrnessos, Pedasos, and Thebe, see Stauber 1996, 91-175. >[Stauber, J., ed. Die Bucht von Adramytteion. vol. II. Inschriften >griechischer St=E4dte aus Kleinasien 51. Bonn: R. Habelt, 1996.] > >On the name of Briseis and Chryseis: >Although I do not mean to imply that Briseis was never understood to >be a name, like Patroklos, who is referred to in his first >appearance in the Iliad as simply "the son of Menoitios," Briseis is >introduced into the poem referentially by way of her father. A >similar phenomenon occurs with Chryseis, whose connection with her >father in Iliad 1 makes a patronymic reference seem logical at first >glance. Neither girl, however, receives another name in the Iliad, >unlike other women who have both a name and a patronymic. (See >Higbie 1995, 113 and 136.) We may even question to what extent >Briseis and Chryseis are actually patronymics. For the name of each >girl has meaning for the narrative: Briseis, the prize of Achilles, >is related to a word for martial strength (cf. Iliad 12.346, 17.52 >[LSJ9, s.v. br=A4yv]), whereas Chryseis, the prize of Agamemnon, is >related to a word for gold (xrus=D2w). Scholars have also connected >Briseis and Chryseis to the towns Brisa and Chryse. (Cf. Hyginus >Genealogiae 106: Agamemnon Briseidam Brisae sacerdotis filiam ex >Moesia captivam propter formae dignitatem, quam Achilles ceperat, ab >Achille abduxit.) Murray 1960, 204 translates ko=CArh Brish=9Bw as >"maiden of Brisa." On Briseis' possible relationship with the town >of Brisa on Lesbos see also Wilamowitz 1884, 409, Reinhardt 1961, >50-57. > >Sincerely, >Casey Du=E9 Hackney >Asst. Professor, Department of Modern and Classical Languages >University of Houston >cldue@mail.uh.edu -- ---------------------------------------------------------- Thomas E. Jenkins Department of Classical Studies Trinity University Chapman Center 245B 715 Stadium Dr., Box 39 Ph. 210-999-7649 San Antonio, TX 78212-7200 Fax 210-999-8008 tjenkins@trinity.edu http://www.trinity.edu/tjenkins --============_-1207226335==_ma============ Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Re: How was Chryseis captured?
To the list:

I forwarded (part) of the Chryseis/Briseis thread to Casey Du=E9, who I knew was working on Briseis as part of her research; she hopes that her response (below) is helpful. I'll forward on to her any additional classics posts!

-Tom Jenkins

Date: Sun, 04 Nov 2001 11:40:40 -0600
Subject: Re: How was Chryseis captured?
=46rom: Casey Du=E9 Hackney <due@fas.harvard.edu>
To: "Thomas E. Jenkins" <tjenkins@trinity.edu>
CC: <cldue@mail.uh.edu>

Dear all,

I do not subscribe to the classics list, but a friend has told me that you have been discussing the capture of Chryseis. I am in the final stages of preparing a book on Briseis (Homeric Variations on a Lament by Briseis, forthcoming very soon from Rowman and Littlefield Press), in which I touch on this issue. Here is what I discovered in the course of my research. I apologize if this repeats information you have already gathered. [Greek text may or may not come through by email, I will include it anyway.]

In terms of the Iliad the sacks of Lyrnessos (the city in which Briseis was captured) and Thebe (in which the brothers of Andromache were killed) took place on a single campaign (Iliad 2.690-91.). In this same sack of Thebe Chryseis was taken and given as a prize to Agamemnon. Andromache was already living in Troy as Hektor's wife at the time of the raid.

According to most interpretations of the relevant passages, Briseis and Chryseis were born in Brisa and Chryse [on the island of Lesbos], but then moved to Lyrnessos and Thebe when they married [See the commentary of Leaf 1900-1902 at 1.37 and 184, 2.690, and 19.286.]. Achilles captured them when he sacked these towns in a series of raids that took place just before our Iliad begins. We may compare the following passages:

"x=D2mey' =A7w Y=C6bhn =FEer=D8n p=D2lin =C9Het=A4vnow,
t=D8n d=A2 diepr=E3yom=B0n te ka=D0 =84gomen =A7ny=E3de p=E3nta:
ka=D0 t=E5 m=A2n e=D4 d=E3ssanto met=E5 sf=A4sin u=C2ew =C9Axai=ABn,
=A7k d' =DFlon =C9Atre=9Bd=99 Xrush=9Bda kallip=E3r=99on. (Iliad 1.366-369)

We went to Thebe the holy city of E=EBtion,
and we sacked it and brought everything here.
And the sons of the Achaeans divided up everything well among themselves,
and they chose beautiful-cheeked Chryseis for the son of Atreus.

ke=F0to g=E5r =A7n n=C6essi pod=E3rkhw d=F0ow =C9Axille=C1w
ko=CArhw xv=D2menow Brish=9Bdow =B1#k=D2moio,
t=D8n =A7k Lurnhsso=CB =A7je=A4leto poll=E5 mog=C6saw
Lurnhss=DAn diapory=C6saw ka=D0 te=A4xea Y=C6bhw,
k=E5d d=A2 M=CAnht' =B6balen ka=D0 =C9Ep=A4strofon =A7gxesim=97rouw
(Iliad 2.688-693)

=46or swift-footed brilliant Achilles lay among his ships
angered over the fair-haired girl Briseis
whom he took from Lyrnessos with great toil,
when he sacked Lyrnessos and the walls of Thebe,
and he slew the spearfighters Mynes and Epistrophus.

In the first passage Achilles narrates his own deeds (and those of his comrades) in the sack of Thebe. The Achaeans chose Chryseis out of the spoils of the town as a prize for Agamemnon. In the second passage, the master narrator recounts Achilles' sack of Lyrnessos, after which he chose Briseis as his prize. The close relationship between the sacks of the two cities is reflected above all in line 2.692, in which the narrator includes both towns as part of a single expedition, even though the subject of this particular micronarrative is Lyrnessos.

If Chryseis was married, as with Hekamede [see Iliad 11.624-627] we never learn the name of her husband. Instead Chryseis and Hekamede (and likewise Briseis) are associated with their fathers and referred to as kour=EA or alternatively as thugat=EAr (daughter; 11.626). War prizes, in fact, seem to be eternal kourai, whether married or not. In the Iliad and Odyssey, women whose husbands have been killed revert to their father's household: once widowed, they become girls again.

[On the detail that Briseis must have been in Lyrnessos because of marriage (and likewise Chryseis in Thebe), see Taplin 1992, 84-86 and arguments (with bibliography) ad loc. For Chryseis, see also Leaf 1912, 244.]

On the location of  these cities:
Lyrnessos, Pedasos, and Thebe are thought to be located very close to one another near Mt. Ida, not far from the gulf of Adramyttion. All of these cities are located near the coast opposite Lesbos, historically within the political sphere of Mytiline. Lyrnessos and Thebe in particular are closely related in the ancient sources. Aeschylus' Phrygians for example (as cited in the scholia to Euripides' Andromache) refers to Lyrnessos as the birthplace of Andromache, even though everwhere else in Greek literature she is said to come from Thebe.

=46or a complete compendium of all ancient testimonia regarding the location of Lyrnessos, Pedasos, and Thebe, see Stauber 1996, 91-175. [Stauber, J., ed. Die Bucht von Adramytteion. vol. II. Inschriften griechischer St=E4dte aus Kleinasien 51. Bonn: R. Habelt, 1996.]

On the name of Briseis and Chryseis:
Although I do not mean to imply that Briseis was never understood to be a name, like Patroklos, who is referred to in his first appearance in the Iliad as simply "the son of Menoitios," Briseis is introduced into the poem referentially by way of her father. A similar phenomenon occurs with Chryseis, whose connection with her father in Iliad 1 makes a patronymic reference seem logical at first glance. Neither girl, however, receives another name in the Iliad, unlike other women who have both a name and a patronymic. (See Higbie 1995, 113 and 136.) We may even question to what extent Briseis and Chryseis are actually patronymics. For the name of each girl has meaning for the narrative: Briseis, the prize of Achilles, is related to a word for martial strength (cf. Iliad 12.346, 17.52 [LSJ9, s.v. br=A4yv]), whereas Chryseis, the prize of Agamemnon, is related to a word for gold (xrus=D2w). Scholars have also connected Briseis and Chryseis to the towns Brisa and Chryse. (Cf. Hyginus Genealogiae 106: Agamemnon Briseidam Brisae sacerdotis filiam ex Moesia captivam propter formae dignitatem, quam Achilles ceperat, ab Achille abduxit.) Murray 1960, 204 translates ko=CArh Brish=9Bw as "maiden of Brisa." On Briseis' possible relationship with the town of Brisa on Lesbos see also Wilamowitz 1884, 409, Reinhardt 1961, 50-57.

Sincerely,
Casey Du=E9 Hackney
Asst. Professor, Department of Modern and Classical Languages
University of Houston
cldue@mail.uh.edu

--
----------------------------------------------------------
Thomas E. Jenkins                            
Department of Classical Studies            
Trinity University                            Chapman Center 245B
715 Stadium Dr., Box 39                         Ph. 210-999-7649
San Antonio, TX 78212-7200               Fax 210-999-8008
tjenkins@trinity.edu        http://www.trinity.edu/tjenkins
--============_-1207226335==_ma============-- .