Complete Works of Sophocles. Illustrated (eBook)

AJAX

Translated by Lewis Campbell

Regarded by most scholars as an early work, from 450–430 BC, this tragedy chronicles the fate of the warrior Ajax after the events of Homer’s Iliad, but before the end of the Trojan War. At the onset of the play, Ajax is enraged when Achilles’ armour was awarded to Odysseus instead of to him and so he vows to kill the Greek leaders that have disgraced him. Before he can enact his revenge, he is deceived by the goddess Athena into believing that the sheep and cattle that were taken by the Achaeans as spoil are the Greek leaders. He slaughters some of them and takes the others back to his home to torture, including a ram which he believes to be his main rival, Odysseus.

When Ajax realises what he has done, he suffers great agony over his actions, believing the other Greek warriors are laughing at him and so contemplates ending his life due to his shame. His concubine, Tecmessa, pleads for him not to leave her and her child unprotected. Ajax then gives his son, Eurysakes, his shield. He leaves the house saying that he is going out to purify himself and bury the sword given to him by Hector. Teukros, Ajax’s brother, arrives in the Greek camp and is taunted by his fellow soldiers. Kalchas warns that Ajax should not be allowed to leave his tent until the end of the day or he will die. Teukros sends a messenger to Ajax’s campsite with word of Kalchas’ prophesy. Tecmessa and soldiers try to track him down, but are too late. Ajax had indeed buried the sword, but has left the blade sticking out of the ground and has impaled himself upon it.

The last part of the drama revolves around the dispute over what to do with Ajax’s body. Ajax’s half brother Teukros 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 by pointing out that even one’s enemies deserve respect in death, if they were noble.

SCENE. Before the encampment of Aias on the shore of the Troad. Afterwards a lonely place beyond Rhoeteum.

Time, towards the end of the Trojan War.

‘A wounded spirit who can bear?’

After the death of Achilles, the armour made for him by Hephaestus was to be given to the worthiest of the surviving Greeks. Although Aias was the most valiant, the judges made the award to Odysseus, because he was the wisest.

Aias in his rage attempts to kill the generals; but Athena sends madness upon him, and he makes a raid upon the flocks and herds of the army, imagining the bulls and rams to be the Argive chiefs. On awakening from his delusion, he finds that he has fallen irrecoverably from honour and from the favour of the Greeks. He also imagines that the anger of Athena is unappeasable. Under this impression he eludes the loving eyes of his captive-bride Tecmessa, and of his Salaminian comrades, and falls on his sword. (‘The soul and body rive not more in parting Than greatness going off.’)

But it is revealed through the prophet Calchas, that the wrath of Athena will last only for a day; and on the return of Teucer, Aias receives an honoured funeral, the tyrannical reclamations of the two sons of Atreus being overcome by the firm fidelity of Teucer and the magnanimity of Odysseus, who has been inspired for this purpose by Athena.

ATHENA (above). ODYSSEUS.