AJAX TELAMONIUS

The story of a hero who,

victim of a tragic fate,

makes himself capable of dealing with bad luck without concession

and comprome,

  to the ultimate sacrifice of life.

THE ORIGINSAjax is a legendary Achaean fighter, son of Telamon, and Periboea (Eribèa according to a different notation), grandson of Aeacus

and grandson of Zeus, Achilles' cousin and half-brother of Teucer. His birth is often

placed in relation to Heracles, which would have wrapped him when he was a baby in his garment of a lion's skin, making him

invincible, with the exception of a shoulder and an armpit.

THE SHAPE OF THE HERO● Ajax leads the contingent of Salaminii,

inhabitants of the kingdom of Salamis.● He is described as the highest among the

Achaeans,provided with a robust physique, second only to Achilles as for skills in fighting;

● He is judged as an authentic greek army's pillar.

● Educated by the centaur Chiron, Ajax is the most valiant warrior of the army led by Agamemnon after Achilles, though it is not equipped with the same wisdom of Nestor, Idomeneus, and Odysseus.

● In battle he turns up grabbing a huge ax and

carrying a large bronze shield, covered with seven layers of ox-hide.

But why did we choose the person of Ajax in order to represent the figure of an

hero?

AJAX IN THE ILIAD...● In the Iliad, Ajax does many brave deeds.

● In the seventh book, Ajax is drawn to fight with Hector and he competes in a duel that lasted for almost an entire day. At first it seems to be able to win and he can hurt Hector with his spear and throw him to the ground, hitting him with a big stone, but then Hector continues fighting until the heralds, on the orders of Zeus, stipulate that the clash is equal: the two men exchanged gifts as a sign of respect.

● The second duel between Ajax and Hector occurs when the Trojan cames violently in the Achaean camp. Ajax throe against Hector a big rock,that was about to kill him. In the fifteenth book, Apollo nurse Hector and he returns to fight. Ajax, meanwhile, manages to keep away the Trojan army virtually alone. In the next book, Hector disarms Ajax and he is forced to retire, while the Trojans set fire to one of the ships. Ajax, however, sets fire to the Trojan's ships, killing a lot of warriors, including the lord of Phrygia, Forci allied with the Trojans.

● Because of his quarrel with Agamemnon, Achilles does not participate in these clashes. In the ninth book, Agamemnon and the other Achaean chiefs send Ajax, Odysseus and Phoenix to Achilles trying to persuade him to return to battle. Although Ajax did his best, the mission fails. During the assault of the Trojan's to the Greek's ships, the friend of Achilles, Patroclus, is killed by Hector, who tries to take the body and feed it to the dogs. Ajax, along with Menelaus, fights hard to stop him and in the end they bring the body back to the camp and deliver it to Achilles, who, furious with pain, decides to return to combat.

...AND ALSO IN SOFOCLES● But the fortune of the character is linked to other events: if his birth is

often placed in connection with Herakles, his death is linked to a myth treated by Sophocles, in the tragedy Ajax.

● After the death of Achilles, Ajax had Odysseus as an opponent in the dispute about the ownership of weapons belonging to the maximum Achaean hero; the greek army, however, decided to give it to the king of Ithaca, humiliating Ajax, who planned to kill Odysseus and all the Greek leaders responsible for the decision.

● But Athena, the traditional patron of Odysseus, caused the momentary madness of Ajax, who, in a hallucinatory delirium, vented his anger on a herd of cattle, and once he came to his senses he decided to kill himself for shame.

● Ajax killed himself with the same sword given to him by Hector. Menelaus and Agamemnon take position against the ritual burial of Ajax, but Odysseus makes them desist from so impious resolution.

●  In later tradition, the comparison between Ajax and Odysseus for the possession of weapons of Achilles became the symbol of the clash between strength and cunning.

THE DEATH● This legend show the debate of the classic greek world about the most

important virtues of warriors: cunning and the indomitable strength.

●  It 'a comparison between the archaic warrior, caught by fury during a battle (lyssa in greek, furor in Latin) and a more modern type of fighter, skilled in weapons, but supported by the divine favor (Ulysses is protected by Athena)

● The death of the great Homeric hero Ajax is very symbolic, represents a change in the point of view of war and Greek ethics. And the era of wars fought by individual heroes of exceptional value, able to rescue companions from a defeat, as did Ajax in the twelfth book of the Iliad, has just finished.

● But courage is not enough. To defeat the enemy you need intelligence and deception.

● Ajax can not change, can not accept to give up his principles to live, accepting new ideals ; death is the only way.

THE DRAMA EXPRESSED BY EXEKIAS

● Exekias illustrated on an elegant amphora Ajax preparing to commit suicide.

● He preferred the representation of the climax and dramatic moment of a myth: here, in fact, avoids the obvious choice, that is the representation of the bloody time of suicide, preferring to create a psychological portrait of the hero, who is planting in the ground the hilt of his sword on which he will drop.

● The scene best expresses the pride and physical and mental concentration of the hero who knows he has no alternative to suicide

To understand why we can call 'heroic' the figure of Ajax, you need to take a step back.

● Achilles is killed by Paris' hand: Ajax and Odysseus fight against the Trojans to snatch them the fallen hero's body.

● Ajax, twirling his great ax, takes care to keep away the Trojans, while Odysseus charges Achilles in his chariot and takes him away.

● After the funeral ceremony, both heroes demand the right to keep for themselves the weapons of Achilles as a recognition of their value

Who would you choose between Ajax and Odysseus?

Through Homer and Sophocles we know that the Greeks chose Odysseus.

The trofeo was the armor of Achilles, the most important prize that could be awarded to a soldier.

The decision was democratic: the leaders gathered to listen to the speeches of both.

A comparison that might recalls the debates of politicians before the election.

The majority votes for Odysseus.

Agamemnon, the leader of the leaders, delivers him the armor.

Ajax did not take it well.

His anger becomes uncontrollable.

He would like to slaughter all his army, he will end up committing suicide ...

THE AWESOME CORRESPONDENCE IN THE MODERNITYExactly this choice has led us to see in the person of Ajax the perfect embodiment of a

modern hero: his story is more than actual, because the dilemma related to justices and injustices is certainly everlasting

  At in the center of the story there is one of the most important issues for a company: how should we assign prizes and awards without generating iniquities?

When expectations are limited, and we will provide fewer benefits for everyone, then we want especially justice in the distribution of awards.

Ajax rapresents all of us that working hard and with great loyalty aren't really considered. Her anger starts from the perception of iniquity,so for this reason is

very important. Anger is a signal that wants us to understand that in the balance of society there's something broken.

Where can we find the origins of this injustice?

In the myth it is the error of Agamemnon. He puts aside Ajax,he treats him as if he was just a

beast of burden, sure that he will continue working without objections.

So who are the Agamemnon today?

All those who have the power and use it only for his own interests, forgetting the common purposes and paying no attention to those who have worked

for them

WHO IS AN HERO TODAY?We wanted to talk about Ajax, because in our opinion "hero" is not only a perfect man,brilliant and noble who never loses

● "Hero", today as yesterday, is who has the noble ideals and succeed to bring them for long: it happens for Ajax who, after the massacre of the flock,loses its honor, and prefer to commit suicide rather than continue to live in shame.

● An hero is someone who works beyond the merits, but for himself.● Is someone who do not need to rely on someone else to be saved,as the fighter does

refusing the help of the Gods● Is someone who does not give up for nothing, as Our Hero does in a lot of battles.● But is also a hero someone who fights against injustice, against the bullies; is

someone who fights for anything that has a moral value. Ajax did all of that, but not always the stories have a happy ending: we hear his story very close to us, a youth who is continually less heard and less helped, but in spite of that we carry on with dreams and ideals.

● The tragic nature of the legend wants us to reflect about how many Ajax are still fighting in vain and wants us to hope that the Agamemnon of today may learn to pay attention to the many Ajax who follow them, and to treat them with respect.

Alessandra, Daria, Beppe, Simona M.