What is a captive?

[Genghis_Sean]

Phillip of Spain just offered me a captive by the name of Tabosa, I think, in return for a resource. We've never been at war, so I don't think he could have captured something from me. Neither Tabosa nor Captive appeared in the civilopedia, so I'm confused. Is it a great person or something? It couldn't be a spy because I've not spied on him, right?

 

[Genghis_Sean]

Phillip of Spain just offered me a captive by the name of Tabosa, I think, in return for a resource. We've never been at war, so I don't think he could have captured something from me. Neither Tabosa nor Captive appeared in the civilopedia, so I'm confused. Is it a great person or something? It couldn't be a spy because I've not spied on him, right?

Correction. It's Tabora and he's a captive that belongs to me, so I guess I captured him at some point. He was offering me a resource to have him, but I can't tell what he is in the trade menu. Maybe it's a great person I captured from the Aztecs or something.

 

[Genghis_Sean]

Just searched through the list of Great People who have been recruited and Tabora is not amongst them.

 

[comet]

It's a spy you have captured that he is negotiating the return of. Spies that fail their mission get captured and the AI will offer you stuff to return them.

 

[ExemplarVoss]

It's a spy you have captured that he is negotiating the return of. Spies that fail their mission get captured and the AI will offer you stuff to return them.

Can get captured. Sometimes they die, which is better for whoever's spy that is- they can just build another.
If you capture someone's spy consider NOT ransoming them back. If they're in prison, they can't mess with your stuff.