Ajax the Lesser: Summary

Identity and Background

• Name: Ajax (Ancient Greek: Aias)
• Meaning: "of the earth"
• Parentage: Son of Oileus, king of Locris, and mother Eriopis
• Distinction: Known as Ajax the Less or Locrian Ajax to differentiate from Ajax the Great, son of Telamon

Role in Myths

• Trojan War: Leader of the Locrian contingent
  • Significant figure in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey
  • Mentioned in Virgil's Aeneid and Euripides' The Trojan Women
• Etruscan Name: Aivas Vilates

Physical Description and Attributes

• Appearance: Described by Dares the Phrygian as stocky, swarthy, pleasant, and brave
• Armor: Known to wear a linen cuirass (linothorax)
• Skills:
  • Brave and intrepid
  • Skilled in spear throwing
  • Next to Achilles, the swiftest among the Greeks
• Character: Malalas described him as tall, strong, daring, with curly black hair and a thick beard

Key Events

• Funeral Games: Competed in footrace at Patroclus' funeral but stumbled due to Athena's intervention, won the second prize
• Role in the Trojan War:
  • Involved in the sacking of Troy
  • Accused of dragging Cassandra from the temple of Athena
  • Odysseus demanded his punishment, but he claimed innocence

Death and Aftermath

• Divine Retribution: Angered Athena due to his actions in Troy
• Demise: During his return, Athena's thunderbolt wrecked his ship
  • Poseidon initially saved him, but after Ajax’s defiance, Poseidon killed him with a split rock
• Burial: Thetis buried him on Mykonos
• Legacy: His spirit was believed to dwell on the island of Leuce
  • Worshipped by the Opuntian Locrians as a national hero
  • His image appeared on Locrian coins

Cultural Depictions

• Frequently depicted in ancient Greek art, particularly the scene of him dragging Cassandra
• His story was popular among ancient poets and artists, reflecting his importance in Greek mythology