As The Illiad begins several years after the actual start of the Trojan War, the first described battle is the sacking of Chryse by Agamemnon and his Achaean forces. Chryse is a target due to its alliance with Troy, and from here Agamemnon captures the maidens Chryseis and Briseis. While Agamemnon takes Chryseis for himself, he gives Briseis to Achilles, his greatest warrior. Unfortunately, Chryseis' father, Chryses, prays to Apollo for help - who, in turn, sends down nine days of plague upon the Archaeans. While Agamemnon agrees to return Chryseis, he demands Briseis from Achilles as compensation. Although Chryse is minor as a location in the grand scheme of things, it does lead to one of the major aspects of The Illiad, where Achilles refuses to fight after this slight from Agamemnon. It is largly only a fictional city, but it is described as being close to Troy.