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Death of Ajax, 1820 Serrur

Ajax is a play by Sophocles. We do not know the date of its first performance, but most scholars regard it as early rather than late in Sophocles' career. It chronicles the fate of the warrior Ajax the Great after the events of the Iliad and the Trojan War. At the onset of the play, Ajax is enraged because Achilles' armor was awarded to Odysseus, rather than him. He vows to kill the Greek leaders who disgraced him. Before he can enact his revenge, though, he is tricked by the goddess Athena into believing the Greek kings are a nearby herd of cattle. He slaughters some of them, and takes the others back to his home to torture.

Tecmessa

After coming to his senses, he pities himself over his disgrace. His wife Tecmessa pleads for him not to leave her and her child unprotected. He pretends that he is moved by her speech, and says that he is going out to purify himself and bury the sword given to him by Hector. After he has gone, a messenger arrives to say that the seer Calchas has warned that if Ajax leaves his house that day, he will die. His wife and soldiers try to track him down, but are too late. Ajax had indeed buried the sword but left the blade sticking out of the ground. His body is found after having thrown himself on it. Sophocles lets us hear the speech Ajax gives immediately before his suicide, in which he calls for vengeance against the whole Greek army.

The last part of the play revolves around the dispute over what to do with Ajax's body. Ajax's half brother Teucer intends on burying him despite the demands of Menelaus and Agamemnon that the corpse is not to be buried. Odysseus, although previously Ajax's enemy, steps in and persuades them to allow Ajax a proper funeral. An argument over whether to deny the burial of a disgraced man is the subject of Antigone, another early play by Sophocles.

Eurysaces with a Paidagogos

Translations

Thomas Francklin, 1759 - verse
Edward H. Plumptre, 1865 - verse
Richard C. Jebb, 1904 - prose: full text
Francis Storr, 1912 - verse
Robert C. Trevelyan, 1919 - verse: full text
John Moore, 1957 - verse

After his folly is finally revealed, Ajax leaves home disgraced and plans to kill himself. His wife and soldiers try to track him down, but are too late. Ajax buries the sword given to him by Hector with the blade sticking out of the ground and falls on it. The last part of the play revolves around the dispute between Odysseus and the other leaders about what to do with Ajax's body. Odysseus finally persuades the others to allow Ajax a proper funeral.

Ajax