Character · Individual

Ajax

shipwrecked at Gyrae

Published entity metadata

Read-only identity and editorial metadata.

Canonical name: Ajax
Disambiguator: shipwrecked at Gyrae
Kind: Character
Scope: Individual
Editorial note: Kept distinct from registry entity 137 because the current source does not resolve which same-named Ajax that earlier entry denotes.

Aliases

No aliases recorded.

Location presence

Phase 6 currently covers 24 processed books.

falling part of the split rock of Gyrae1 observation

·Reported

Ajax sat on the part of the rock of Gyrae that fell into the sea.

See evidence text

“‘‘Son of Atreus,’ he answered, ‘why ask me? You had better not know what I can tell you, for your eyes will surely fill when you have heard my story. Many of those about whom you ask are dead and gone, but many still remain, and only two of the chief men among the Achaeans perished during their return home. As for what happened on the field of battle—you were there yourself. A third Achaean leader is still at sea, alive, but hindered from returning. Ajax was wrecked, for Neptune drove him on to the great rocks of Gyrae; nevertheless, he let him get safe out of the water, and in spite of all Minerva’s hatred he would have escaped death, if he had not ruined himself by boasting. He said the gods could not drown him even though they had tried to do so, and when Neptune heard this large talk, he seized his trident in his two brawny hands, and split the rock of Gyrae in two pieces. The base remained where it was, but the part on which Ajax was sitting fell headlong into the sea and car ried Ajax with it; so he drank salt water and was drowned.”

Claims

·Reported

Ajax is wrecked on Gyrae and briefly escapes despite Minerva’s hatred, but after boasting that the gods cannot drown him, he dies when Neptune splits the rock beneath him and he falls into the sea.

See evidence text

“‘‘Son of Atreus,’ he answered, ‘why ask me? You had better not know what I can tell you, for your eyes will surely fill when you have heard my story. Many of those about whom you ask are dead and gone, but many still remain, and only two of the chief men among the Achaeans perished during their return home. As for what happened on the field of battle—you were there yourself. A third Achaean leader is still at sea, alive, but hindered from returning. Ajax was wrecked, for Neptune drove him on to the great rocks of Gyrae; nevertheless, he let him get safe out of the water, and in spite of all Minerva’s hatred he would have escaped death, if he had not ruined himself by boasting. He said the gods could not drown him even though they had tried to do so, and when Neptune heard this large talk, he seized his trident in his two brawny hands, and split the rock of Gyrae in two pieces. The base remained where it was, but the part on which Ajax was sitting fell headlong into the sea and car ried Ajax with it; so he drank salt water and was drowned. ”

Additional evidence

Evidence records not already represented by a claim.

·Reported

“Ajax was wrecked, for Neptune drove him on to the great rocks of Gyrae”