Character · Individual
Read-only identity and editorial metadata.
son of Telamon
Descriptive reference · Direct
huge Ajax
Epithet · Direct
bulwark of the Achaeans
Title · Direct
Phase 6 currently covers 24 processed books.
Ajax remains in the duel upon the plain of Troy and catches up a second stone there.
“he gave ground, and with his brawny hand seized a stone, rugged and huge, that was lying upon the plain; with this he struck the shield of Ajax on the boss that was in its middle, so that the bronze rang again. But Ajax in turn caught up a far larger stone”
Ajax chased the Trojan force over the plain of Troy.
“brave Ajax chase the foe furiously over the plain”
Ajax, one of the envoys denoted by “they,” reaches the ships and tents of the Myrmidons.
“They went their way by the shore of the sounding sea, and prayed earnestly to earth-encircling Neptune that the high spirit of the son of Aeacus might incline favourably towards them. When they reached the ships and tents of the Myrmidons, they found Achilles playing on a lyre, fair, of cunning workmanship, and its cross-bar was of silver.”
Ajax, one of the friends denoted by “them,” is physically present under Achilles’s roof.
“With this he led them forward, and bade them sit on seats covered with purple rugs; then he said to Patroclus who was close by him, ‘Son of Menoetius, set a larger bowl upon the table, mix less water with the wine, and give every man his cup, for these are very dear friends, who are now under my roof.’”
Ajax, included in Ajax’s “we,” is physically with Achilles under Achilles’s roof.
“Be then of a more gracious mind, respect the hospitality of your own roof. We are with you as messengers from the host of the Danaans, and would fain he held nearest and dearest to yourself of all the Achaeans.”
Ajax son of Telamon crosses the Achaeans’ trench with the summoned chiefs before meeting beyond it.
“With this he passed the trench, and with him the other chiefs of the Achaeans who had been called to the council. Meriones and the brave son of Nestor went also, for the princes bade them. When they were beyond the trench that was dug round the wall they held their meeting on the open ground”
Ajax son of Telamon moves about on the Achaean walls.
“The two Ajaxes went about everywhere on the walls cheering on the Achaeans”
By the passage’s deictic continuation of their movement on the walls, Ajax son of Telamon remains on the Achaean wall.
“Thus did the two go about shouting and cheering the Achaeans on.”
Ajax son of Telamon is standing along the Achaean wall when Menestheus looks for support.
“he looked along the wall for some chieftain to support his comrades and saw the two Ajaxes, men ever eager for the fray, and Teucer, who had just come from his tent, standing near them”
Ajax son of Telamon is on the Achaean wall when Thootes reaches the two Ajaxes.
“The messenger did as he was told, and set off running along the wall of the Achaeans. When he reached the Ajaxes”
Ajax son of Telamon is still at the wall position where he directs the others to stay.
“Great Ajax son of Telamon heeded the message, and at once spoke to the son of Oileus. ‘Ajax,’ said he, ‘do you two, yourself and brave Lycomedes, stay here”
Ajax son of Telamon fights at the battlements at the top of the Achaean wall.
“Ajax son of Telamon killed brave Epicles, a comrade of Sarpedon, hitting him with a jagged stone that lay by the battlements at the very top of the wall”
Ajax son of Telamon attacks Sarpedon at the battlement of the Achaean wall.
“Ajax and Teucer then both of them attacked him. Teucer hit him with an arrow on the band that bore the shield which covered his body, but Jove saved his son from destruction that he might not fall by the ships’ sterns. Meanwhile Ajax sprang on him and pierced his shield, but the spear did not go clean through, though it hustled him back that he could come on no further. He therefore retired a little space from the battlement”
Telamonian Ajax is described as far greater than Ajax son of Oileus.
“He was not so great, nor nearly so great, as Ajax the son of Telamon.”
Telamonian Ajax is foremost among the men while Achilles remains angry, though Achilles greatly excels him and has better horses.
“Of the horses, those of the son of Pheres were by far the finest. They were driven by Eumelus, and were as fleet as birds. They were of the same age and colour, and perfectly matched in height. Apollo, of the silver bow, had bred them in Perea—both of them mares, and terrible as Mars in battle. Of the men, Ajax, son of Telamon, was much the foremost so long as Achilles’ anger lasted, for Achilles excelled him greatly and he had also better horses; but Achilles was now holding aloof at his ships by reason of his quarrel with Agamemnon, and his people passed their time upon the sea shore, throwing discs or aiming with spears at a mark, and in archery. Their horses stood each by his own chariot, champing lotus and wild celery. The chariots were housed under cover, but their owners, for lack of leadership, wandered hither and thither about the host and went not forth to fight.”
Priam observes Ajax as a great, goodly warrior whose head and broad shoulders tower above the Argives.
“that great and goodly warrior whose head and broad shoulders tower above the rest of the Argives”
Helen identifies huge Ajax as the bulwark of the Achaeans.
“huge Ajax, bulwark of the Achaeans”
Telamonian Ajax arms beside the other Ajax amid a host of foot soldiers.
“the two Ajaxes arming themselves amid a host of footsoldiers”
Ajax kills Simoeisius among the foremost by spearing him through breast and shoulder.
“he was cut off untimely by the spear of mighty Ajax, who struck him in the breast by the right nipple as he was coming on among the foremost fighters; the spear went right through his shoulder”
Ajax tries to strip Amphius but under a rain of spears extracts only his spear and is beaten back.
“Then Ajax ran towards him to strip him of his armour, but the Trojans rained spears upon him, many of which fell upon his shield. He planted his heel upon the body and drew out his spear, but the darts pressed so heavily upon him that he could not strip the goodly armour from his shoulders. The Trojan chieftains, moreover, many and valiant, came about him with their spears, so that he dared not stay; great, brave and valiant though he was, they drove him from them and he was beaten back.”
Ajax, a tower of Achaean strength, breaks a Trojan phalanx, aids his comrades, and kills Acamas.
“Ajax son of Telamon, tower of strength to the Achaeans, broke a phalanx of the Trojans, and came to the assistance of his comrades by killing Acamas son of Eussorus, the best man among the Thracians, being both brave and of great stature”
Andromache says the two Ajaxes have thrice assaulted the wall’s weak point with other foremost Achaeans.
“Thrice have the bravest of them come thither and assailed it, under the two Ajaxes, Idomeneus, the sons of Atreus, and the brave son of Tydeus”
Ajax son of Telamon is among the nine Achaean champions who rise to answer Hector’s challenge.
“forthwith nine men started to their feet. Foremost of all uprose King Agamemnon, and after him brave Diomed the son of Tydeus. Next were the two Ajaxes, men clothed in valour as with a garment, and then Idomeneus, and Meriones his brother in arms. After these Eurypylus son of Euaemon, Thoas the son of Andraemon, and Ulysses also rose”
Ajax recognizes and claims the chosen lot, rejoices, confidently predicts victory over Hector, and says neither force nor cunning can overcome him because he was born and bred in Salamis.
“brave Ajax held out his hand, and the herald gave him the lot. When Ajax saw his mark he knew it and was glad; he threw it to the ground and said, ‘My friends, the lot is mine, and I rejoice, for I shall vanquish Hector. I will put on my armour; meanwhile, pray to King Jove in silence among yourselves that the Trojans may not hear you—or aloud if you will, for we fear no man. None shall overcome me, neither by force nor cunning, for I was born and bred in Salamis, and can hold my own in all things”
Ajax arrays himself in gleaming bronze, advances huge and grimly smiling with a long spear, and bears before him a wall-like shield of seven oxhide folds beneath an outer layer of bronze.
“Ajax armed himself in his suit of gleaming bronze. When he was in full array he sprang forward as monstrous Mars when he takes part among men whom Jove has set fighting with one another—even so did huge Ajax, bulwark of the Achaeans, spring forward with a grim smile on his face as he brandished his long spear and strode onward. The Argives were elated as they beheld him, but the Trojans trembled in every limb, and the heart even of Hector beat quickly, but he could not now retreat and withdraw into the ranks behind him, for he had been the challenger. Ajax came up bearing his shield in front of him like a wall—a shield of bronze with seven folds of oxhide—the work of Tychius, who lived in Hyle and was by far the best worker in leather. He had made it with the hides of seven full-fed bulls, and over these he had set an eighth layer of bronze. Holding this shield before him, Ajax son of Telamon came close up to Hector”
Ajax’s spear penetrates Hector’s shield, cuirass, and shirt before Hector swerves; Ajax later wounds and staggers him, withstands Hector’s stone, and hurls a larger rock with prodigious force that crushes Hector’s shield inward and knocks him down.
“Then Ajax threw in his turn, and struck the round shield of the son of Priam. The terrible spear went through his gleaming shield, and pressed onward through his cuirass of cunning workmanship; it pierced the shirt against his side, but he swerved and thus saved his life. They then each of them drew out the spear from his shield, and fell on one another like savage lions or wild boars of great strength and endurance: the son of Priam struck the middle of Ajax’s shield, but the bronze did not break, and the point of his dart was turned. Ajax then sprang forward and pierced the shield of Hector; the spear went through it and staggered him as he was springing forward to attack; it gashed his neck and the blood came pouring from the wound, but even so Hector did not cease fighting; he gave ground, and with his brawny hand seized a stone, rugged and huge, that was lying upon the plain; with this he struck the shield of Ajax on the boss that was in its middle, so that the bronze rang again. But Ajax in turn caught up a far larger stone, swung it aloft, and hurled it with prodigious force. This millstone of a rock broke Hector’s shield inwards and threw him down on his back with the shield crushing him under it, but Apollo raised him at once”
Ajax insists that Hector, as challenger, must first call for the halt, but agrees to accept his decision.
“bid Hector say so, for it was he that challenged our princes. Let him speak first and I will accept his saying”
Hector praises Ajax’s stature, strength, judgement, and spearcraft, saying he excels all other Achaeans with the spear.
“heaven has vouchsafed you stature and strength, and judgement; and in wielding the spear you excel all others of the Achaeans”
Ajax returns to the Achaeans elated with victory and is brought to Agamemnon.
“On the other side the Achaeans brought Ajax elated with victory to Agamemnon”
Ajax receives long slices from the loin from Agamemnon as a mark of special honour.
“King Agamemnon gave Ajax some slices cut lengthways down the loin, as a mark of special honour”
Ajax, confident in his strength, has valorously drawn up his ships at one end of the Achaean line opposite Achilles.
“Ajax son of Telamon, and on the other towards those of Achilles—for these two heroes, well assured of their own strength, had valorously drawn up their ships at the two ends of the line”
Ajax repeatedly raises his shield so Teucer can shoot from its cover, then shelters him again.
“When Ajax lifted his shield Teucer would peer round, and when he had hit any one in the throng, the man would fall dead; then Teucer would hie back to Ajax as a child to its mother, and again duck down under his shield”
Ajax runs to fallen Teucer, bestrides his brother, and shelters him with his shield.
“Ajax saw that his brother had fallen, and running towards him bestrode him and sheltered him with his shield”
Evidence records not already represented by a claim.
“Ajax”
“Ajax, son of Telamon”
“caught sight of Ajax”
“Ajax son of Telamon came close up to Hector”
“the two Ajaxes, servants of Mars”
“Ajax and Ulysses follow”
“Ajax son of Telamon”
“Ajax son of Telamon”
“Ajax son of Telamon”
“killed by Ajax son of Telamon”
“Ajax son of Telamon”
“great Ajax the son of Telamon”