Telamonian Ajax: the myth in archaic and classical Greece

This monograph provides a complete overview of the development of Telamonian Ajax’s myth in archaic and classical Greece. It is a systematic study of the representations of the hero in all kinds of media, such as literature, art, or cultic practice. It establishes how and why the constitutive elements of Ajax’s myth evolved by examining the way the literary works and visual representations in which he features were influenced by the historical, socio-cultural, and performative contexts of their receptions. The political valence and religious dimension of the hero as well as the audience for which each work was produced are consistently taken into account. The study focuses on three main loci of reception: (1) the Panhellenic figure of Ajax, through a study of early Greek hexameter poetry and archaic art, (2) archaic and classical Aegina, and (3) archaic and classical Athens. By following in the footsteps of Ajax, this study offers a journey across the archaic and classical history of the Saronic Gulf, and exemplifies the manner in which the respective priorities of art, cult, and politics could be negotiated through the re-configuration of mythological figures

Dancing little bears

This article investigates how female participation in choruses was conceived as a part of the larger project of the education of women in classical Greece. In particular, I claim that choral participation gave women the opportunity to learn how to move and carry themselves, and to shape their bodies through physical exercise. This opportunity for learning takes on particular significance in the context of the relationship between physical movement and personal identity. I show that the training of bodily movement functioned as a kind of proxy for the training of the character and more fundamental personal characteristics, such that moving well becomes an expression of a deeper set of competences. This paper takes as its major case study the example of the arkteia, a ritual in which girls who participated as dancers were famously referred to as “little bears.” The interpretive question of why they were referred in this way has attracted an enormous amount of scholarly attention. Here, I propose a new interpretation. I claim that this choice of terminology reflects the way in which the girls were considered to be in a state of wildness, because they had not yet undergone the civilising training of the arkteia. On a more literal level, I suggest that the clumsiness of their movements resembled the movement patterns of bears. In this light, dance education appears as a force that tames simultaneously the clumsiness of these movement patterns, along with the girls’ characters and more fundamental personal characteristics. The ceremony therefore represents a transition from a raw state of nature to one of civilised self-mastery

Pre-Homeric Ajax

In this chapter, I will examine the way the traditional (or pre-Homeric) story of Telamonian Ajax has been received by the Iliad, and how it resurfaces through a conscious use of allusions and reenactments of traditional material, thereby contributing to the poem’s all-encompassing ambition. I shall first establish what can be known about the pre-Homeric story of Ajax before contrasting it with the hero’s treatment in the Iliad and, to a lesser extent, in the Odyssey

Telamonian Ajax: a study of his reception in archaic and classical Greece

This thesis is a systematic study of the representations of Telamonian Ajax in archaic and classical Greece. Its aim is to trace, examine, and understand how and why the constitutive elements of his myth evolved in the way they did in the long chain of its receptions. Particular attention is paid to the historical, socio-cultural and performative contexts of the literary works and visual representations I analyse as well as to the audience for which these were produced. The study is divided into three parts, each of which reflects a different reality in which Ajax has been received (different with respect to time, place, or literary genre). Artistic representations of the hero, as well as his religious dimension and political valence, are consistently taken into account throughout the thesis. The first part â Ajax from Salamis â focuses on epic poetry, and thus investigates the Panhellenic significance of the hero (rather than his reception in a particular place). It treats the entire corpus of early Greek hexameter poetry that has come down to us in written form as the reception of a common oral tradition which each poem has adapted for its own purpose. I establish that in the larger tradition of the Trojan War, Ajax was a hero characterised by his gift of invulnerability. Because of this power, he is the figure who protects his companions â dead or alive â par excellence. However, this ability probably also led him to become over-confident, and, accordingly, to reject Athena's support on the battlefield. Hence, the goddess's hostility towards him, which she demonstrated by making him lose the reward of &#7936;&rho;&iota;&sigma;&tau;&epsilon;&#8150;&alpha; (Achilles' arms). His defeat made Ajax so angry that he became mad and committed suicide. I also show how this traditional Ajax has been adapted to fit into the Iliad's own aesthetics. The second part â Ajax in Aegina â concentrates on the reception of Ajax in the victory odes of Pindar and Bacchylides for Aeginetan patrons. I argue that in the first part of the fifth century, Ajax becomes a figure imbued with a strong political dimension (especially with regard to the relationship between Athens and Aegina). Accordingly, I show how the presence of Ajax in Pindar's and Bacchylides' poems is often politically charged, and significant within the historical context. I discuss the influence this had on his representation. Finally, the third part moves to Athens, as I consider Ajax's reception during three distinct periods: the sixth century, the first half of the fifth century, and finally the rest of the classical period. I equally insist on the political dimension of the figure. I demonstrate that his figure undergoes a shift of paradigm in the early fifth century, which deeply affects his representation. By following in the footsteps of Ajax, this study prompts a series of reflections and comments on each of the works in which the hero features as well as on the relationship of these works to the historical context in which they were produced.</p

Telamonian Ajax: a study of his reception in archaic and classical Greece

This thesis is a systematic study of the representations of Telamonian Ajax in archaic and classical Greece. Its aim is to trace, examine, and understand how and why the constitutive elements of his myth evolved in the way they did in the long chain of its receptions. Particular attention is paid to the historical, socio-cultural and performative contexts of the literary works and visual representations I analyse as well as to the audience for which these were produced. The study is divided into three parts, each of which reflects a different reality in which Ajax has been received (different with respect to time, place, or literary genre). Artistic representations of the hero, as well as his religious dimension and political valence, are consistently taken into account throughout the thesis. The first part – Ajax from Salamis – focuses on epic poetry, and thus investigates the Panhellenic significance of the hero (rather than his reception in a particular place). It treats the entire corpus of early Greek hexameter poetry that has come down to us in written form as the reception of a common oral tradition which each poem has adapted for its own purpose. I establish that in the larger tradition of the Trojan War, Ajax was a hero characterised by his gift of invulnerability. Because of this power, he is the figure who protects his companions – dead or alive – par excellence. However, this ability probably also led him to become over-confident, and, accordingly, to reject Athena's support on the battlefield. Hence, the goddess's hostility towards him, which she demonstrated by making him lose the reward of ἀριστεῖα (Achilles' arms). His defeat made Ajax so angry that he became mad and committed suicide. I also show how this traditional Ajax has been adapted to fit into the Iliad's own aesthetics. The second part – Ajax in Aegina – concentrates on the reception of Ajax in the victory odes of Pindar and Bacchylides for Aeginetan patrons. I argue that in the first part of the fifth century, Ajax becomes a figure imbued with a strong political dimension (especially with regard to the relationship between Athens and Aegina). Accordingly, I show how the presence of Ajax in Pindar's and Bacchylides' poems is often politically charged, and significant within the historical context. I discuss the influence this had on his representation. Finally, the third part moves to Athens, as I consider Ajax's reception during three distinct periods: the sixth century, the first half of the fifth century, and finally the rest of the classical period. I equally insist on the political dimension of the figure. I demonstrate that his figure undergoes a shift of paradigm in the early fifth century, which deeply affects his representation. By following in the footsteps of Ajax, this study prompts a series of reflections and comments on each of the works in which the hero features as well as on the relationship of these works to the historical context in which they were produced.</p