Seba.Health

The Iliad 13.312–327

The Iliad 13.312–327
and a good man too in close fight; these shall drive Hector, Priam's son, to surfeit of war, despite his eagerness, be he never so stalwart. Hard shall it be for him, how furious soever for war, to overcome their might and their invincible hands, and to fire the ships, unless the son of Cronos should himself cast a blazing brand upon the swift ships. But to no man would great Telamonian Aias yield, to any man that is mortal, and eateth the grain of Demeter, and may be cloven with the bronze or crushed with great stones. Nay, not even to Achilles, breaker of the ranks of men, would he give way, in close fight at least; but in fleetness of foot may no man vie with Achilles. But for us twain, do thou, even as thou sayest,make for the left of the host, that we may know forthwith whether we shall give glory to another or another to us.
νηυσὶ μὲν ἐν μέσσῃσιν ἀμύνειν εἰσὶ καὶ ἄλλοι Αἴαντές τε δύω Τεῦκρός θʼ, ὃς ἄριστος Ἀχαιῶν τοξοσύνῃ, ἀγαθὸς δὲ καὶ ἐν σταδίῃ ὑσμίνῃ· οἵ μιν ἅδην ἐλόωσι καὶ ἐσσύμενον πολέμοιο Ἕκτορα Πριαμίδην, καὶ εἰ μάλα καρτερός ἐστιν. αἰπύ οἱ ἐσσεῖται μάλα περ μεμαῶτι μάχεσθαι κείνων νικήσαντι μένος καὶ χεῖρας ἀάπτους νῆας ἐνιπρῆσαι, ὅτε μὴ αὐτός γε Κρονίων ἐμβάλοι αἰθόμενον δαλὸν νήεσσι θοῇσιν. ἀνδρὶ δέ κʼ οὐκ εἴξειε μέγας Τελαμώνιος Αἴας, ὃς θνητός τʼ εἴη καὶ ἔδοι Δημήτερος ἀκτὴν χαλκῷ τε ῥηκτὸς μεγάλοισί τε χερμαδίοισιν. οὐδʼ ἂν Ἀχιλλῆϊ ῥηξήνορι χωρήσειεν ἔν γʼ αὐτοσταδίῃ· ποσὶ δʼ οὔ πως ἔστιν ἐρίζειν. νῶϊν δʼ ὧδʼ ἐπʼ ἀριστέρʼ ἔχε στρατοῦ, ὄφρα τάχιστα εἴδομεν ἠέ τῳ εὖχος ὀρέξομεν, ἦέ τις ἡμῖν.
Lattimore commentary
The rating of Aias as Achilleus’ equal in a fight (though not in a race) coheres with the tradition that he was deserving of Achilleus’ armor after the hero’s death. The story of his defeat by Odysseus and subsequent suicide was part of the Cyclic Little Iliad and is dramatized in the Ajax of Sophocles.
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