Even though I’m in such torment – Oh! Just in time to adorn this unfortunate man’s grave. Odysseus No, Athena. Menelaus Your tongue feeds your temper with a fierce anger! He and those two evil mates of his, the Atreus brothers! The keenest sorrow is to recognize ourselves as the sole cause of all our adversities. More pride than any mortal should possess! 460.

1140. I want to see my son, now!

It hurts now. Agamemnon It’s hard to find a king who’d virtuous in such circumstances.

The rest is up to you, Zeus. Sa biographie; Ses textes dans le domaine public; Sophocle (495 ou 496 av. But as far as Ajax is concerned, he will be an enemy to me whether he’s dead or alive. That man has conspired to murder us, to murder the complete army! The gods love good men but they hate the evil ones. But you will grow up, my boy and when you do, when you do grow up, you’ll have to demonstrate to your enemies just what sort of a man you are, what sort of a man your father was. When I have tried and failed, I shall have failed. You are a nobody, a nothing and you are standing up for another nobody, another nothing! Let those with wit take note: I will not live, I will not breathe any longer! He told him, “man, do not hurt the dead because if you do, you’ll get hurt.” 1150. I have no father. As for Troy, here, too, my enemies are great in number and my friends few. to speak dishonorably is pardonable. You’ve raised me from my bed. In front of Ajax’s hut, at the very edge of the camp, searching the ground for his footprints, just like a hunter, wondering, no doubt if he’s inside.

“Even before he left home to come here, we saw his foolishness. Shoot slanders at someone like me and, well nobody will believe you! We use cookies for essential site functions and for social media integration. Learn who you are! My own heart was tough before, yet this poor woman’s words have softened it, like iron is softened by the hands of a smith. Chorus The day when the contest about Achilles’ golden armour took place was a day that brought about this new lot of awesome troubles! And so, I shall be sensible. Grief teaches the steadiest minds to waver. To utter the word is to utter a groan of agony. It is Tecmessa, the spearman’s captive woman. Sophocles was born in a prosperous family in Attica and showed his talent as a playwright from an early age, before becoming the most famous playwright in Athens.

201. Chorus There’s no denying, Ajax, the words you’ve just spoken come straight from your own heart. The other one, he stood it upright on its hind legs and tied up against a pole.

Chorus But what’s the use of lamenting over what has been done? Tecmessa Yes, he’s dead! Odysseus! Shall I leave? Let the cause of their death be their dear children.

Then he fell down among all the bloody carcasses and all the slaughtered sheep. It was the flesh of Thyestes’ very own sons! Ajax Relentless infinite Time! And if you find I've lied, from this day on call the prophet blind. The story you tell is so full of pain. Where is his son? A true and loyal friend, indeed!

He picks up the shield lying next to him. Teucer I’ve rushed back here because I saw our General, Agamemnon, walking this way and from the looks of him, he’s about to let fly some nasty words from his mouth. 1070. Ah, but never mind, I’ll talk to you, later, when I have come down below. When I heard it, back there in the field, far from here, I sighed quietly. Stop at nothing.

And have you also forgotten the time when the sterns of our ships were turned into blazing torches and wild Hector was leaping high over the ditches and onto the hulls of those ships? When will come the final year? All my care is you, and all my pleasure yours.

He's yoked to an evil delusion, but the same fate could be mine. Odysseus How did he even dare do such a thing? He won’t get frightened by the sight of spilt blood.

Teucer And let me say just this one word in reply: this man will be buried! Where is he? If only my eyes and my mind had not been turned the other way, away from what I wanted to do, those two men would have never lived the day to make such a judgement, a judgement against such a man as me. Ajax Odysseus? Oh, Ajax, my brother! 490. No! 990. To save what honor he has left he commits suicide. Voluntarily. 1230. We who love the distant House of Telamon feel enormous grief. Ask them to accomplish all of my wishes, every thing that’s in my heart. Do you have that much respect for the corpse of your enemy? Ajax the hero is full of hatred and aggressiveness because he was not awarded the god-made (Hephaestus) armor of the Geek hero Achilles, after his death. From his words and his deep grief, it looks obvious to me that he’s thinking of doing some great harm to himself. Too long! Update this biography »

How quickly it disappears! All men are the same. Chorus No more the strength of character he was brought up with! 891. Tecmessa Yes, I was afraid you might see him and kill him. Don’t talk like that!