Ajax The Lesser In The Iliad: A Research Paper

“Not far away, on the coast south of Phthia, archaeologists have discovered the probable site of Kynos, home of Ajax the Lesser in the Iliad” (Strauss). Greek pottery that illustrates warriors, ships, and battles at sea were found. Near Athens, newly discovered ruins, lead to validity to the story of the greek legendary heroes. Ajax the Great and his partner Ajax the Lesser. Many mythology stories also mention that Ajax the Lesser fought beside Ajax the Great at the battle of Troy. Ajax the Lesser demonstrated himself a capable warrior when he arrived at Troy, killing many trojans with Ajax the great, Achilles, and all of his men. “He also led forty ships to the Trojan War from Locris" (Stapleton 14). Ajax the great was distinguished between

In contrast to the funeral games, it is argued that "He is said to have been a man of bad character, being arrogant, cruel to his enemies, quarrelsome, and impious”(Grimal 28). Most sources agree that Ajax the Lesser committed sacrilege against Athena during the Trojan war. Some sources say, Cassandra sought refuge near Athena's altar, while Ajax used force to carry off both girl and statue (Grimal 28). Other sources say Ajax the lesser dragged Cassandra and raped her in Athena’s temple. Either way, it is disrespectful to commit violence in a temple. This was despised by the Trojan culture but ignored by the Greeks. In the book Cassandra, through the thoughts of the protagonist, the reader is aware that the Greek culture does not share the same values that Trojans hold to heart. These values include moral respect toward temples, fair fights, and to a certain extent decency towards women. These values have been discarded by Ajax the Lesser. Because Ajax committed violence in the temple, Athena vengefully cursed his fleet to be shipwrecked on his journey home from the trojan war, however, he escaped drowning. Some sources say, “As this conceited man escaped drowning he climbed a rock and at the top, boasted about his escape. Poseidon then split the rock with a thunderbolt on half. Ajax then finally drowned”(Pierce 14) while others

Evidence shows that the Locrians were affected by breakouts of epidemics and a series of bad harvest. These tragedies were often understood as a phenomenon created by the angry Gods. It is even said that the oracle claimed that these calamities were a sign of the divine wrath. To reverse these tragedies, the oracle states that “Athena would be appeased only if the Locrians sent two girls to troy each year, for a thousand years, to expiate the rape of Cassandra” (Stapleton 29). They would be sent to the temple of Athene in Ilium. As compensation, the act persisted and became a customary action. This is evidence that Greek culture was either loathsome to Ajax’s action or afraid of Gods. Having greeks into perspective, the explanation can be that the people of Ajax where remorseful for the