City Falls, Women Taken

The novel opens with the sacking of Lyrnessus, a city allied with Troy, by Achilles and his Myrmidons. Briseis, the young queen, witnesses the slaughter of her family and the brutal subjugation of her people. The women, including Briseis, are herded together, knowing their fates as slaves and concubines are sealed. The trauma of war is immediate and personal, as Briseis is stripped of her status and identity, forced to march into an unknown future. The narrative's focus is on the terror, confusion, and numbness of the conquered, especially the women, who are now prizes of war.

Briseis: From Queen to Slave

Briseis is claimed as a prize by Achilles, the most feared Greek warrior. She is paraded before the Greek army, objectified and humiliated, and then delivered to Achilles' hut. Her new life is one of silence and observation, as she navigates the dangers of being both visible and invisible—a trophy, yet voiceless. The narrative explores her psychological transformation from queen to slave, her struggle to maintain dignity, and her attempts to find meaning and connection in a world where her agency has been erased.

Achilles' Camp: Survival

Life in the Greek camp is a mixture of squalor and splendor. Briseis describes the daily routines, the hierarchy among slaves, and the constant threat of violence. She forms a cautious bond with Patroclus, Achilles' companion, and with other captive women. The camp is a microcosm of war's aftermath: men boast and drink, while women serve, endure, and try to survive. Briseis' internal monologue reveals the psychological toll of captivity and the strategies women use to cope, from small acts of rebellion to moments of solidarity.

The Butcher and the Boy

Achilles is both revered and feared, known to the women as "the butcher." His relationship with Briseis is transactional and dehumanizing, but his bond with Patroclus is deep and complex. Patroclus, in contrast, is gentle and kind, offering Briseis small mercies and glimpses of humanity. The dynamic between the three is fraught: Briseis is both a wedge and a witness, observing the love and dependence between Achilles and Patroclus, and the ways in which war distorts all relationships.

The Plague of Apollo

A plague strikes the Greek camp, sent by Apollo in response to Agamemnon's refusal to return Chryseis, another captive woman, to her priestly father. The camp is ravaged by disease and death, and Briseis, now serving as a healer, witnesses the suffering firsthand. The plague exposes the vulnerability of the Greeks and the expendability of women, who are bartered and blamed for the gods' anger. The episode underscores the powerlessness of mortals before the whims of gods and kings.

Agamemnon's Insult

To appease Apollo, Agamemnon is forced to return Chryseis but demands Briseis as compensation, publicly humiliating Achilles. Achilles, feeling dishonored, withdraws from battle, plunging the Greek army into crisis. Briseis is transferred to Agamemnon's hut, enduring further degradation. The quarrel between the two greatest Greek leaders is rooted in the treatment of women as property, and its consequences are catastrophic for the entire army.

The Quarrel's Cost

With Achilles absent from battle, the Greeks suffer heavy losses. The women, including Briseis, live in fear as the front lines move closer. The camp's atmosphere grows tense and desperate. Briseis' status as the cause of the quarrel makes her a target for resentment and hostility. The narrative highlights the ripple effects of male pride and violence, and the way women's bodies become battlegrounds for men's egos.

Patroclus' Kindness

Patroclus emerges as a rare source of comfort and understanding for Briseis. He treats her with respect and listens to her, offering a model of masculinity that contrasts sharply with Achilles and Agamemnon. Their friendship is a lifeline for Briseis, reminding her of her own humanity and the possibility of kindness even in the midst of brutality. Patroclus' compassion also foreshadows his later actions and ultimate sacrifice.

The Price of Honour

Desperate to save the Greeks, Patroclus dons Achilles' armor and leads the Myrmidons into battle. He is killed by Hector, and his death devastates Achilles, who is consumed by grief and rage. Achilles' return to battle is marked by a killing spree of unprecedented ferocity. The cost of male honor is paid in blood, and the cycle of violence escalates. Briseis mourns Patroclus, the only man who showed her real kindness.

The War Turns

Achilles slays Hector and desecrates his body, dragging it around the walls of Troy. His grief for Patroclus is bottomless, and his rage is inhuman. The Greeks are reinvigorated, and the fate of Troy is sealed. Briseis observes Achilles' transformation into a figure of mythic violence, and the narrative dwells on the emptiness of revenge and the futility of war.

Patroclus in Achilles' Armour

The chapter revisits Patroclus' decision to fight in Achilles' place, his death at Hector's hands, and the impact on those left behind. Briseis' grief is personal and profound; she has lost her only friend and protector. The women's suffering is compounded by the loss of the few men who treated them as human. The chapter explores the theme of borrowed glory and the tragic consequences of trying to live up to another's legend.

Death and Grief

Achilles refuses to bury Patroclus until he has avenged him, keeping his body unburied and mourning in isolation. The camp is haunted by death, and the women are forced to participate in the rituals of grief. Achilles' pain is raw and destructive, and Briseis reflects on the different ways men and women experience and express loss. The chapter is a meditation on mourning, memory, and the impossibility of closure.

Priam's Plea

King Priam of Troy enters the Greek camp alone to beg Achilles for Hector's body. In a moment of shared humanity, Achilles is moved by Priam's grief and agrees to return Hector for burial. The encounter is a rare moment of empathy and reconciliation, as two fathers—one bereaved, one anticipating loss—find common ground. Briseis witnesses the exchange, recognizing the power of compassion to break the cycle of vengeance.

Hector's Burial

Hector's body is washed and prepared for burial by Briseis and Achilles. The funeral rites are observed, and a temporary truce is declared for the mourning period. The women, including Briseis, are reminded of their own losses and the universality of grief. The burial of Hector is both an ending and a beginning, as it marks the last act of respect before the final destruction of Troy.

The End of Troy

The Greeks sack Troy, killing the men and enslaving the women. Briseis, now pregnant, is married off to Alcimus, a minor Greek warrior, as Achilles' final act of care. The women are parceled out as spoils, their futures uncertain and their suffering ongoing. The narrative lingers on the aftermath: the burning city, the forced marches, and the silence of the conquered.

The Fate of the Women

Briseis reflects on the fate of the Trojan women: Hecuba, Andromache, Polyxena, and others. Each is reduced to a commodity, their stories erased or rewritten by their captors. The novel insists on the importance of bearing witness, of remembering the names and lives of the women who suffered and survived. Briseis' pregnancy is both a symbol of hope and a reminder of the ongoing cycle of violence.

The Silence of the Girls

In the final chapter, Briseis contemplates the erasure of women's voices from the epic tradition. She recognizes that the story of Troy will be told as a tale of male heroism, with the suffering of women relegated to the margins. Yet she asserts the importance of her own story, and those of the other women, as a counter-narrative to the myths of glory and conquest. The silence of the girls is both a wound and a form of resistance.

Characters

Briseis

Briseis is the novel's narrator and emotional core. Once a queen, she is reduced to a slave and concubine, her identity and agency stripped away by war. Her relationships—with Achilles, Patroclus, and the other women—are marked by trauma, adaptation, and resilience. Briseis is introspective, intelligent, and fiercely observant, using her silence as both shield and weapon. Her psychological journey is one of survival, as she seeks meaning and dignity in a world that denies her both. Her development is from passive victim to a woman who insists on her own story, even in the face of erasure.

Achilles

Achilles is both the greatest Greek hero and a figure of terror to the women. His identity is shaped by violence, pride, and a deep, unresolved grief. His relationship with Briseis is transactional and dehumanizing, but his bond with Patroclus reveals vulnerability and dependence. Achilles' rage at Agamemnon's insult leads to disaster for the Greeks, and his grief for Patroclus drives him to acts of inhuman cruelty. Yet he is also capable of mercy, as shown in his encounter with Priam. Psychologically, Achilles is a study in trauma, masculinity, and the costs of glory.

Patroclus

Patroclus is Achilles' closest companion and the only man in the camp who consistently shows kindness to Briseis. He is sensitive, compassionate, and self-effacing, providing a counterpoint to Achilles' violence. Patroclus' decision to fight in Achilles' place is an act of courage and self-sacrifice, but it leads to his death and the unraveling of those around him. His presence lingers as a ghostly influence, shaping the actions and emotions of both Briseis and Achilles.

Agamemnon

Agamemnon is the Greek commander-in-chief, whose arrogance and greed set the central conflict in motion. His treatment of women as property and his inability to respect Achilles' honor lead to the plague and the near-collapse of the Greek war effort. Agamemnon is both powerful and deeply insecure, using violence and humiliation to assert control. His actions have devastating consequences for everyone, especially the women.

Priam

Priam, King of Troy, is a figure of dignity and sorrow. His journey into the Greek camp to beg for Hector's body is an act of immense courage and humility. Priam's grief humanizes the enemy and creates a moment of connection across the lines of war. His relationship with Briseis is brief but significant, as he recognizes her suffering and the shared fate of all who lose in war.

Hecuba

Hecuba, Priam's wife, embodies the suffering of Troy's women. She loses her husband, sons, and city, and is reduced to a slave. Her grief is overwhelming, and her fate is a warning of what awaits all women in war. Hecuba's presence in the narrative is a reminder of the cost of conquest and the endurance of maternal love.

Andromache

Andromache, Hector's wife, is another victim of war's brutality. She loses her husband and child, and is given as a prize to Pyrrhus, Achilles' son. Her story is one of loss, resilience, and the impossibility of justice. Andromache's suffering is emblematic of the fate of noble women in defeat.

Iphis

Iphis is a fellow slave and Briseis' closest friend in the camp. Her kindness and vulnerability provide Briseis with comfort and solidarity. Iphis' eventual fate—given as a prize in a chariot race—underscores the randomness and cruelty of the women's lives. Her loss is deeply felt by Briseis.

Ritsa

Ritsa is an older woman and healer, who helps Briseis adapt to life in the camp. She is pragmatic, resourceful, and caring, offering both medical knowledge and emotional support. Ritsa's presence is a stabilizing force, and her survival strategies are a model for the other women.

Alcimus

Alcimus is a minor Greek warrior and one of Achilles' aides. After Achilles' death, he marries Briseis, providing her with a measure of security. Alcimus is decent and well-meaning, if somewhat foolish, and his relationship with Briseis is shaped by necessity rather than love. He represents the possibility of a future, however compromised, for the survivors.

Plot Devices

Female Perspective on Epic Events

The novel's central device is its retelling of the Iliad from the perspective of Briseis and the other women. By centering the narrative on those traditionally silenced, Barker exposes the cost of war for the conquered and enslaved. The familiar epic events are reframed as personal traumas, and the heroism of men is contrasted with the suffering of women. This device challenges the reader to reconsider whose stories are told and whose are erased.

Silence and Voice

Silence is both a theme and a structural device. Briseis' enforced silence is a means of survival, but also a form of resistance—she observes, remembers, and ultimately narrates. The novel interrogates the ways in which women's voices are suppressed, and the importance of bearing witness. The final chapters explicitly address the erasure of women from history and the need for new stories.

Psychological Realism

Barker employs deep psychological realism, focusing on the inner lives of her characters, especially Briseis. The narrative is rich in sensory detail, memory, and introspection, conveying the ongoing trauma of captivity and loss. The use of first-person narration and stream-of-consciousness techniques immerses the reader in Briseis' experience, making her suffering and resilience palpable.

Foreshadowing and Irony

The novel is suffused with foreshadowing, as the characters are aware of their fates—Troy will fall, Achilles will die, the women will be enslaved. This inevitability creates a sense of tragic irony, as moments of hope are undercut by the knowledge of what is to come. The use of mythic allusion and dramatic irony heightens the emotional impact.

Symbolism of Objects and Rituals

Objects—jewelry, clothing, weapons, the lyre—are imbued with symbolic meaning, representing lost identities, memories, and connections. Rituals of mourning, burial, and sacrifice are depicted in detail, emphasizing their importance in maintaining humanity amid chaos. The contrast between the public rituals of men and the private rituals of women is a recurring motif.

Analysis

**A modern feminist retelling of the Iliad, The Silence of the Girls reclaims the voices of women erased by epic tradition, exposing the brutal realities of war and the cost of male heroism. Pat Barker's narrative is both a critique and a reimagining, insisting that the suffering, endurance, and resilience of women are central to the story of Troy. The novel interrogates the nature of power, trauma, and survival, challenging readers to confront the silences in history and literature. Its lessons are urgent and contemporary: that the stories we tell shape our understanding of the past, and that true justice requires listening to those who have been silenced. In the end, Briseis' insistence on her own story is an act of defiance and hope—a reminder that even in the darkest times, the voices of the oppressed can endure.

Last updated: May 18, 2025