Mortal Women In The Iliad

Throughout the Iliad, women are viewed as prizes, whereas men are seen as warriors. Two mortal women, who portray the idea of females being possessions are Chryseis and Briseis. When the Achaeans seize Chryse, an ally of Troy, both Agamemnon and Achilles, takes the women as their war prizes. In addition, Helen also viewed as a prize, when she is the most beautiful mortal woman during the Decision of Paris. A mortal man, Hector, is depicted as a fierce Trojan warrior. As he goes through war, he seeks war-glory, as most men do in ancient Greek culture. Achilles, the Trojan hero, also portrays a warrior in the story.
The two characters, Chryseis and Briseis, are women who are significant in the Trojan war. However, because of their gender, they …show more content…
Helen misses her old life dearly and feels discontent with her new life in Troy. If a man were discontent with his life, he would be able to control it. However, Helen is a woman and must suffer her nuisance because she is treated like an object. She is trapped in Troy because she was taken coercively out of her city and ripped from her friends and family. By having no other place to go, she feels even more isolated. Her only option is to remain in Troy and watch soldiers …show more content…
The women are treated as objects and prizes to men. Whereas men are depicted as strong warriors. Chryseis and Briseis are a prime example as being treated as war prizes, because they are taken from their city. Helen is a significant player in the cause of the Trojan war, yet she has little say in her life. Hector portrays a fierce fighter throughout the story because he is obsessed with war-glory. Achilles also epitomizes a warrior, when he sacrifices everything to fight. Overall, the Iliad depicts the typical gender roles in ancient