Sophocles’ Ajax. Sophocles Circa 495-405 b.c. Floruit 468-405 b.c. 18 victories in Dionysia over 100 plays? Ajax - oldest surviving - c.455/443? Philoctetes.

Sophocles’ Ajax

Sophocles• Circa 495-405 b.c. • Floruit 468-405

b.c.• 18 victories in

Dionysia • over 100 plays?• Ajax - oldest

surviving - c.455/443?

• Philoctetes - next to last - 409 b.c. - age 87 - 1st prize

• Trachiniae - date unknown

Sophocles at War

• Persian Wars 499-449bc

• Battle of Salamis 480bc

• Sophocles as leader of celebratory paean

• Twice Elected Strategos

• Peloponnesian War 431-404 bc

• Athenian Empire vs. Peloponnesian League, led by Sparta

Stuff of Tragedy

• Hero Cults• Hero Tales as

Tragic Subject Matter

• Sometimes Historical Subjects (Aeschylus’ Persae)

• Vehicle for Ethical & Religious Problems

Surviving Plays

• Ajax• Trachiniae • Philoctetes • Electra• The Theban Plays

– Oedipus Rex– Oedipus in Colonus– Antigone

Dramatis Personae

• Ajax• Teucer• Tecmessa• Eurysaces• Atreidae• Odysseus• Athena• Messenger• Chorus of

Salaminian Sailors

Telamon, Periboea

& Hesione

• Telamon: Argonaut, Companion of Herakles, Father of Ajax & Teucer

• Periboea, mother of Ajax

• Hesione, sister of Priam, mother of Teucer

Second Best of

the Achaeans• Achilles• Ajax• Odysseus?

Hubris of AjaxMy father, with gods' help a man of naughtMight victory win; but I, I trust, shall graspWithout their aid that glory for myself.

• Athena’s Picture Removed• Athena’s Help Rejected

Battlefield Prowess

Armor Dispute

Made by Hephaestus

• Patroclus• Thetis

Choosing the Next Bravest

• Aeschylus’ Thracian Captives: Trojan Captives choose winner

• Sophocles’ Ajax: Atreidae’s decision

Pindar’s Ajax

• Lyric Poet• Contemporary of

Aeschylus, fl. C5th• No murder plot, no

madness, no sheep• Snubbed Ajax

commits suicide• Ajax etymology

– aietos - eagle (Pindar)– aiai - woe/agony

(Soph.)

Divine Intervention• Athena checks

murderous Achilles

• Athena deceives murderous Ajax

• Slaughter & Torture of Sheep

Athena

• Sophocles: distance & separation between mortals and immortals

• immortal on stage only here in surviving plays

• Athena’s highest delight: triumph over a fallen enemy

• Odysseus Reluctant– Cp. Odyssey

Compassion of

Odysseus?• Fragility of Life

& Happiness• contrast

between Odysseus’ prudence and Ajax's reckless passion

Shield of Ajax

• Shield for Son• Eurysaces• “Broad Shield”• Little Concern

for Tecmessa or even for Teucer

Teucer

• Will be exiled for Failure to Save or Avenge Ajax

• Hamo Thornycroft

Hector’s Sword

• Hector as guest-friend

Painful Prophecies

• Calchas• “Bronze Man”• 10 year war @ Troy• Iphigeneia to Artemis• Chryseis & Apollo’s

plague• Bow of Herakles from

Philoctetes• Wrath of Athena

Dead killing the Living…Again

• Juxtaposition of hope & death

• Sophoclean Reversal

• Pessismism: hope vs. result

Honoring the Dead

• Piety vs Revenge• Ajax’s prayer• Aristocratic honor

ethic vs. more humane ethic of obligations to individuals

Sophoclean Elements

• broader debate rather than motivation of individual characters

• protagonists sacrifice everything for honor & values

• resolute, ready to die, stubborn in the face of persuasion

• isolated from, misunderstood by family & friends

• accused of recklessness + lack of realism• death in solitude -- greatness• not right or wrong, just expressions of

greatness

Agamemnon & Odysseus

• discipline vs. respect for former honor of dead man

• Change of scene – from Ajax's tent to seashore - unusual

• Death/act of violence on stage - very unusual - breach of convention

Odysseus as peace-maker• Return to piety - respect for gods' laws -

bury dead• Return to honor for Ajax - bravest after

Achilles• Greatness of Ajax weighs more than hatred• Odysseus still sees fate of Ajax as mortal lot

- O. too will need burial some day• Chorus acknowledges value of O.'s wisdom• Teucer reconciles with O.• No reconciliation with Ajax - offer to aid in

burial rejected --- Odyssey

Resolution

• Funeral honors + pyre at Troy • Other tradition- bones + armor returned

to Salamis• Tomb in Salamis - hero-cult - honor for

heroes - annual sacrifices by Athenians• Subject-matter of tragedy ---

importance of hero-cult in C6th• Ajax - establishment of cult - honor of +

for Ajax (no tomb=no cult)