Ajax the Great

Áyax carrying the body of Achilles, protected by Hermes (left) and Athena (right). Side 1 of an attic amphora of black figures, ca. 520 - 510 a. C.

Ayax Suicide Big by Poussin

Ajax (in ancient Greek Αἴας Aías) or Ajax, son of Telamon, king of Salamis, and Peribea, is a legendary hero from Greek mythology. To distinguish him from Ajax, son of Oileo, he was called Ajax the Great, Great Ajax or Ajax Telamonius (Τελαμώνιος Telamốnios, son of Telamon).

His name was chosen by Heracles, a friend of Telamon, who, seeing that the eagle of Zeus (eagle=αετός) perched on his shoulder, announced to him: «There will be born of you, Telamon, the son you desire and of the name of the bird that has just appeared to us will be called Ajax. He will surprise the peoples in the fights of Ares », as noted by the poet Pindar.

In Troy

He was a valiant warrior, the strongest after his cousin Achilles who embarked on the mythical Trojan War commanding twelve ships from Salamis accompanied by his brother Teucer. His sons were Eantides with his wife Brenda, and Eurysaces and Phileo, with his servant Tecmesa. Traditionally Phileo was considered to be the first ancestor of the Athenian family of the Philaids.

He fought the war with courage and skill. In Homer's Iliad he is described as a warrior of great stature and colossal strength, stubborn and with an immense shield who by himself is a rampart of the phalanxes, second only in prowess and bravery in battle. behind Achilles. He was not wounded in any of the battles recounted in the Iliad and is the only important character in the work who did not receive help from any of the Greek gods. He was, so to speak, the only Homeric hero, who owed all his triumphs to his human being. Like Achilles, he was trained by the centaur Chiron. Ajax was undoubtedly one of the most important kings on the battlefield, although not as wise as Nestor, Idomeneo or Menesteo, nor as skilled as Diomedes, Odysseus or Palamedes. He commanded his army carrying a great battle ax and a huge shield, always accompanied by Teucer, his half brother.

During the Trojan War, Ajax fought Hector twice. The first was in a duel that lasted a whole day without a winner. The second was during a Trojan raid on the Achaean camp: Ajax and Hector fought on the Greek ships. Ajax nearly killed Hector by throwing a large stone at him.Both encounters took place when Achilles had abandoned the battlefield due to his anger with Agamemnon, and the Greeks were devastated.

When Patroclus died at the hands of Hector, the Trojans tried to take his body and feed it to the dogs, but Ajax fought back and managed to protect the corpse, returning it to the Greek camp and his friend Achilles. Later, when Achilles died after being hit by an arrow from Paris, Ajax and Odysseus managed to recover the hero's body to take it to the Greek camp.

The madness and death of Ajax

Following the funeral games held in honor of Achilles, both Greek heroes claimed Achilles' armor as a reward for their efforts. After a dispute of wits or perhaps because Agamemnon hated the lineage of Aeacus, Odysseus received the armor and Ajax was left mad with rage. In his delirium he mistook a flock of sheep for the Achaean leaders, Odysseus and Agamemnon, and killed all the animals. Athena herself had intervened, creating the hero's confusion and delirium, since he was one of the few who did not go into combat imploring some divine protection.

When Ajax awoke from his madness, he saw that he had dishonored his warrior's sword with the blood of domestic animals and decided to take his own life rather than live in shame and opprobrium. To do this, he used Hector's sword, which he gave him he had given as an offering of honor after their first duel.

After his death, a hyacinth flower sprouted at the point where his blood fell, whose petals were marked with the first two letters of Ajax's name (Greek "ΑΙ") as if they were a lament.

Agamemnon opposed Ajax being cremated, so he was the only one of the Greeks killed in the Trojan War whose body was buried in a coffin, in the place called Retheus, according to tradition.

During Odysseus's descent into the Underworld, this hero was able to see Ajax's soul among the dead but, although Odysseus tried to start a conversation with him, Ajax's soul did not want to answer him, as he continued to resent having lost his powers. weapons of Achilles in competition.

In his name, the Aiantes festivities were celebrated in Salamis.

In other media

• It appears in the movie Troy2004, played by Tyler Mane.
• Colombian writer and academic Nikólaos Chalavazis novel the history of Áyax El Grande in his work Pain Ayanteo.
• It appears in an episode of the television series Hercules: His legendary travelsplayed by Peter McCauley.
• It appears in the strategy video game Age of Mythology and its expansion Age of Mythology: The Titans.
• It is the protagonist of the poem Ajax in hellof the Peruvian poet Jorge Eduardo Eielson.
• It appears as a drawing on the shield of Amsterdam's Ajax club and the club has its name.
• It appears in the strategy video game Total War Saga: Troy.
• The real name of Tartaglia, character of the video game Genshin ImpactIt's actually Ajax.