Ajax the Lesser
Mortal man
Ajax (Ancient Greek: Αἴας, romanized: Aíās) was a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris. He was called the "Ajax the Less", the "lesser" or "Locrian" Ajax, to distinguish him from Ajax the Great, son of Telamon.
Explore on the graph
- Mentions
- 18
- Connected characters
- 2
- Books
- 9
Mentions in the Iliad
All · 18Book 2 · 1Book 10 · 2Book 12 · 1Book 13 · 4Book 14 · 2Book 15 · 1Book 16 · 1Book 17 · 1Book 23 · 5
A. T. Murray, Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press, 1924 · Homer, Iliad with an English Translation · CC BY-SA 3.0 US
“And their leaders busily marshalled the ranks of the Phocians, and made ready for battle hard by the Boeotians on the left. And the Loerians had as leader the swift son of Oïleus, Aias the less, in no wise as great as Telamonian Aias, but far less. Small of stature was he, with corselet of linen,”
“and the swift Aias, and the valiant son of Phyleus. And I would that one should go and summon these also, the godlike Aias and lord Idomeneus, for their ships are furthest of all and nowise nigh at hand. But Menelaus will I chide, dear though he be and honoured,”
“But go now and rouse swift Aias and the son of Phyleus, for thou art younger —if so be thou pitiest me. So spake he, and Diomedes clad about his shoulders the skin of a lion, fiery and great, a skin that reached his feet, and grasped his spear, and he went his way, and roused those warriors from where they were, and brought them.”
“Forthwith he spake winged words to the son of Oïleus: Aias, do ye twain, thou and strong Lycomedes, stand fast here and urge on the Danaans to fight amain, but I will go thither, and confront the war, and quickly will I come again, when to the full I have borne them aid.”
“even so from them sped Poseidon, the Shaker of Earth. And of the twain swift Aias, son of Oïleus, was first to mark the god, and forthwith spake to Aias, son of Telamon: Aias, seeing it is one of the gods who hold Olympus that in the likeness of the seer biddeth the two of us fight beside the ships—”
“Amphimachus then did Stichius and goodly Menestheus, leaders of the Athenians, carry to the host of the Achaeans, and Imbrius the twain Aiantes bare away, their hearts fierce with furious valour. And as when two lions that have snatched away a goat from sharp-toothed hounds, bear it through the thick brush,”
“and brother of Aias, but he dwelt in Phylace, far from his native land, for that he had slain a man of the kin of his stepmother Eriopis, that Oïleus had to wife; and the other, Podarces, was the son of Iphiclus, son of Phylacus. These, harnessed in their armour, in the forefront of the great-souled Phthians,”
See all 18
“who would ever take from him his shield, whenso weariness and sweat came upon his limbs. But the Locrians followed not with the great-hearted son of Oïleus, for their hearts abode not steadfast in close fight, seeing they had no brazen helms with thick plumes of horse-hair,”
“But when the Argives saw Hector withdrawing, they leapt yet the more upon the Trojans, and bethought them of battle. Then far the first did swift Aias, son of Oïleus, leap upon Satnius and wound him with a thrust of his sharp spear, even the son of Enops, whom a peerless Naiad nymph conceived”
“But most men did Aias slay, the swift son of Oïleus; for there was none other like him to pursue with speed of foot amid the rout of men, when Zeus turned them to flight.”
“the one a leader of the brazen-coated Boeotians, and the other a trusty comrade of great-souled Menestheus; and Aeneas slew Medon and Iasus. The one verily, Medon, was a bastard son of godlike Oïleus, and brother of Aias,”
“And Aias, son of Oileus, leapt upon Cleobulus, and caught him alive, entangled in the throng; but even there he loosed his might, smiting him upon the neck with his hilted sword. Thereat all the blade grew warm with his blood, and down over his eyes came dark death and mighty fate.”
“Patroclus should become the sport of the dogs of Troy. So spake he, and swift Aias, son of Oileus, heard him clearly, and was first to come running to meet him amid the battle, and after him Idomeneus and Idomeneus' comrade, Meriones, the peer of Enyalius, slayer of men.”
“I discern not clearly, but the man seemeth to me to be an Aetolian by race, and is king among the Argives, even the son of horse-taming Tydeus, mighty Diomedes. Then shamefully chid him swift Aias, son of Oïleus: Idomeneus, why art thou a braggart from of old? Nay, still afar off are”
“The selfsame mares are in the lead, that led of old, even they of Eumelus, and himself he standeth firmly in the car and holdeth the reins. Then the leader of the Cretans waxed wroth, and spake in answer: Aias, thou master of railing, witless in counsel, in all things else thou fallest behind the other Argives, for thy mind is stubborn.”
“For the second again he set an ox great and rich with fat; and a half-talent in gold he appointed for the last. And he stood up, and spake among the Argives saying: Up now, ye that will make essay likewise in this contest. So spake he, and forthwith uprose swift Aias, son of Oïleus,”
“and Odysseus of many wiles, and after them Antilochus, Nestor's son, for he surpassed all the youths in swiftness of foot. Then took they their places in a row, and Achilles showed them the goal, and a course was marked out for them from the turning-point. Then speedily the son of Oïleus forged to the front, and close after him sped goodly Odysseus;”
“where was strewn the filth from the slaying of the loud bellowing bulls that swift-footed Achilles had slain in honour of Patroclus; and with the filth of the bulls were his mouth and nostrils filled. So then much-enduring, goodly Odysseus took up the bowl, seeing he came in the first, and glorious Aias took the ox.”
Connections
Father · Sources
Father · Sources
And their leaders busily marshalled the ranks of the Phocians, and made ready for battle hard by the Boeotians on the left. And the Loerians had as leader the swift son of Oïleus, Aias the less, in no wise as great as Telamonian Aias, but far less. Small of stature was he, with corselet of linen,
Forthwith he spake winged words to the son of Oïleus: Aias, do ye twain, thou and strong Lycomedes, stand fast here and urge on the Danaans to fight amain, but I will go thither, and confront the war, and quickly will I come again, when to the full I have borne them aid.
even so from them sped Poseidon, the Shaker of Earth. And of the twain swift Aias, son of Oïleus, was first to mark the god, and forthwith spake to Aias, son of Telamon: Aias, seeing it is one of the gods who hold Olympus that in the likeness of the seer biddeth the two of us fight beside the ships—
Il. 2.527 · Il. 12.366 · Il. 13.66 · Il. 13.203 · Il. 13.701 · Il. 14.520 · Il. 16.330 · Il. 23.473 · Il. 23.754 · Il. 23.759 · Il. 23.779
Brother · Sources
Brother · Sources
and brother of Aias, but he dwelt in Phylace, far from his native land, for that he had slain a man of the kin of his stepmother Eriopis, that Oïleus had to wife; and the other, Podarces, was the son of Iphiclus, son of Phylacus. These, harnessed in their armour, in the forefront of the great-souled Phthians,
the one a leader of the brazen-coated Boeotians, and the other a trusty comrade of great-souled Menestheus; and Aeneas slew Medon and Iasus. The one verily, Medon, was a bastard son of godlike Oïleus, and brother of Aias,
Il. 13.695 · Il. 15.334
See all 2
In art
Henri Auguste César Serrur. Aiace-paint. Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille. Public domain. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q72928130
Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein. Ajax and Cassandra. Public domain. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110026373
Image author: Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein
Image date: 1806
Solomon Joseph Solomon. Ajax and Cassandra. Art Gallery of Ballarat. Public domain. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q128602190
Image author: Solomon Joseph Solomon
Image date: 1886
See all 5
Francis Cleyn. The Seizure of Cassandra by Ajax. Metropolitan Museum of Art. CC0. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q85358798
Image author: Mortlake Tapestry Works / Francis Cleyn
Image date: circa 1650
Coupe avec en médaillon Cassandre et Ajax - Musée du Louvre AGER Cp 937 ; G 458. Department of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities of the Louvre. CC0. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q115474468
04 / PROVENANCE
Sources and verification
The character is matched to the catalogue.
- Wikipedia · Ajax the Lesser · CC BY-SA 4.0
Excerpt; remaining sentences omitted.
Reference material remains distinct from the poem’s assertions. Characters who share a name retain separate pages.