I think complicit is a poor choice of words in this case. I think compliant is better.
The behavior of the captured woman would be:
- do everything possible to ensure her young previous children are not killed, but accompany her in captivity;
- don't try to escape, which would probably be impossible anyway;
- don't fight or assassinate her new captor 'husband', it would mean certain death;
- try to make the enslaved relationship work as well as possible; please the new master;
- seek to have successful children in the new context;
- marry-up in the new society, if at all possible, such as on death of the first 'husband'.
Many women would have already had arranged marriages out from their home village, to a new husband in another location, even within the same tribe or society. They may never have seen their original family again.
They would be dominated by their new mother-in-law, and treated like a slave in the new extended household. Being captured and enslaved again was probably not so different - unless it was by different and abhorrent barbarians.
For example, China had arranged out-marriage of daughters, and many of their lives were totally miserable (e.g. foot-binding so they couldn't run away). But being captured by the Mongols was probably extremely unpleasant (I mean, they never washed :)
The behavior of the captured woman would be:
- do everything possible to ensure her young previous children are not killed, but accompany her in captivity;
- don't try to escape, which would probably be impossible anyway;
- don't fight or assassinate her new captor 'husband', it would mean certain death;
- try to make the enslaved relationship work as well as possible; please the new master;
- seek to have successful children in the new context;
- marry-up in the new society, if at all possible, such as on death of the first 'husband'.
Many women would have already had arranged marriages out from their home village, to a new husband in another location, even within the same tribe or society. They may never have seen their original family again.
They would be dominated by their new mother-in-law, and treated like a slave in the new extended household. Being captured and enslaved again was probably not so different - unless it was by different and abhorrent barbarians.
For example, China had arranged out-marriage of daughters, and many of their lives were totally miserable (e.g. foot-binding so they couldn't run away). But being captured by the Mongols was probably extremely unpleasant (I mean, they never washed :)