|
"And the Locrians had as
leader the swift son of Oileus, Ajax the lesser, in
no wise as great as Telamonian Ajax, but far less. Small of stature
was he, with corselet of linen, but with the spear
he far excelled the whole host of Hellenes and
Achaeans." [Hom.Il.2.527]
"Ajax, you master of
railing, witless in counsel, in all things else you
fall behind the other Argives, for your mind is
stubborn." [Idomeneus 1 to Ajax 2.
Hom.Il.23.483]
|
|
This Ajax (Ajax 2), the son of Oileus 1, is
usually called "the Locrian" or "the little" to
distinguish him from Telamonian
Ajax 1, who is called
"great" for being the best warrior among the
Achaeans—second only to
Achilles —and also
for his stature. His father, King Oileus 1 of
Locris, travelling with the
ARGONAUTS
(Hyg.Fab.14), was wounded by one of the
Stymphalian Birds (Arg.2.1037). Like the
other Ajax, Ajax 2 had a half-brother, Medon 1,
whom Aeneas killed at
Troy
(Hom.Il.15.332). During the
Trojan War, the two
Ajax often fought in a team, and are therefore
known as "the AIANTES". Ajax 2 was of smaller
complexion than Ajax 1,
but excelled with the spear (Hom.Il.2.527),
and was in running second only to
Achilles
(Hom.Il.23.790).
Ajax 2 was one of the
SUITORS OF HELEN
(Apd.3.10.8; Hyg.Fab.81), which means he was
bound by The Oath of
Tyndareus —the
defence pact that forced the whole of Hellas to go
to war. So when the alliance against
Troy was formed after the
abduction of Helen, Ajax 2
became leader of the Locrians, contributing with 20
(Hyg.Fab.97), or perhaps 40 ships to the
Achaean fleet [see
ACHAEAN LEADERS,
to compare with other contributions]. Later, he is
found among those who hid inside the
WOODEN HORSE
(QS.12.314ff.; Pau.3.19.12).
Ajax 2 was a brave man, but shortly after the
war he was destroyed by the gods on account of his
outrageous behaviour during the sack of
Troy.
|
|
Fighting at Troy
The AIANTES were the first that
Poseidon (borrowing the
form of Calchas)
summoned to defend the ships:
"Ye Aiantes
twain, ye two shall save the host of the Achaeans,
if ye are mindful of your might, and think not of
chill rout." [Hom.Il.13.46]
... and in the fierce fight they stood side by
side (Hom.Il.13.708). When they prevailed it
could be seen that
"... most men
did Ajax slay, the swift son of Oileus; for there
was none other like him to pursue with speed of
foot amid the rout of men."
[Hom.Il.14.520]
According to Hyginus (Fabulae 114), Ajax
2 killed 14 Trojan warriors during the
Trojan War. Here are
some of them:
Amphimedon 3 (QS.13.211).
Cleobulus (Hom.Il.16.330.)
Derinoe, one of the
AMAZONS who came with
Penthesilia to the Trojan
War (QS.1.42, 1.258).
Gavius (Hyg.Fab.113).
Satnius, son of Enops 1, the man who tended his
herds by the banks of Satnioeis (Hom.Il.14.444).
Satnioeis or Saphnioeis is a river in the Troad
(Hom.Il.6.34, 21.87).
But Scylaceus he only wounded and failed to
kill. This Trojan warrior thus survived the war and
later came to Lycia. There he was questioned by the
women about their sons and husbands, and their fate
in the war. But when he told them then how they all
were dead, the women stoned him to death
(QS.10.147).
Ajax 2 took also part in the defence of the
corpse of Patroclus
1, and of Achilles'
armour.
|
|
His iniquity and death
Ajax 2 was a brave man, but during the sack of
Troy, cowardice came upon
him and he raped the seeress and princess
Cassandra. While
trying to drag her away from a sanctuary, he teared
down the image of Athena
(Proclus, Chrestomathia, ii).
Because of this outrage, the Achaean kings
assembled, and Odysseus
advised to stone Ajax 2 to death for his crime.
However, no punishment was decided, but during the
Returns of the
ACHAEAN LEADERS,
the gods sent storms and contrary winds because
they had despoiled the shrines and Ajax 2 had
dragged Cassandra from
the sanctuary of Athena.
In one of these storms,
Athena threw a
thunderbolt against Ajax 2's ship When it went to
pieces, he made his way safe to a rock, and
declared that he was saved in spite of the
intention of Athena. But
Poseidon smote the rock
with his trident and split it, and Ajax 2 fell into
the sea and perished. His body, being washed up,
was buried by Thetis in Myconos (the small island
to the east of Delos).
If Leonymus is to be believed, the soul of Ajax
2 is in the White Isle (at the mouths of the Ister
= Danube) [for the death of Ajax 2, see also
Hom.Od.4.499ff.; Apd.Ep.6.6;
Hyg.Fab.116, QS.14.530ff., etc. For the
White Isle, see also
Isles of the Blest).
|
|
|
|