The Preparation For Ajax's Suicide (Black-Figure Technique, Amphora By Exekias), Greek 550-525 BC, Chteau-Muse

The Preparation for Ajax's Suicide (Black-Figure Technique, Amphora by Exekias), Greek 550-525 BC, Château-Musée de Boulogne-sur-Mer, France.

We know the story, how Aias the son of Telamon (or Ajax the Great) loses his senses because of Athena and attacks a flock of sheep because the armor of Achilles was given to Odysseus instead of himself. Ashamed by his action and horrified he comits suicide by throwing himself on his sword.

Even if the vases depicting his suicide are extremely powerful I think nothing tops this masterpiece! Not only we do have the amazing tecnique of Exekias with the amazing engraved details from the Gorgoneion on the shield till Ajax's hair and beard

but also by the amazing thematic. The tension is so much greater because we see how Ajax prepares himself for the end. He is alone. There is no one around but a palm tree (ironically the palm tree is called "phoenix" in greek, similar sounding to the bird phoenix that signifies death and rebirth) wich is there only to show where he is. His armor is placed to the side and he himself is naked; stripped off anything that made him a warrior. The way even his face shows his tension in this seems great to me. And the way he places the sword to the ground and makes sure that the sword would stay still and steady as he is ready to fall on it!

The methodical way he prepares himself for the end is giving such a tension in the atmosphere! And so much contrasting his madness that brought him there! There is a slow pace here that prepares you for the end! He almost seems to be patting his sowrd with care! The fall of a great warrior that is about to go down ashamed!

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Ajax is mentioned to my analysis here as well as to the third part of my faniction The Death of Odysseus

The story includes murder / children/, rape, insect, cannibalism, pedophilia,zoophilia, and slavery.

*I won't name names, you know who they are*

petition to change “written by a woman” into “written by euripides”

Thanks a lot but also Paris was married and had children from Oenone

do you have any information about this.

There is no way Paris is that young he is 35-36 years old

Diomedes and Paris are not as young as people make them out to be

It doesn't make sense, but I'm trying to understand everyone's age, and it still doesn't come out

Peris was married with a child when Achilles was 9 years old. Diomedes was one of Helen’s suitors Achilles is not. Also, Achilles goes to war at 15 he dies at 24 and kills Troilus at 17 years old.Sacked Lyrnessus and takes Briseis at the beginning of the war.

at 17 years old.

Achilles had Neoptolemus at 12/13 years old which is disgusting but possible

(information about it APOLLODORUS or Pseudo-Apollodorus)

They were 30-something years old.Paris was 40 when he died, and he was handsome, yes, but not young

And if it's because Nestor once said Diomedes was his sons age, this man is so old.His youngest son is at war, and the man is 70 years old

If I'm wrong tell me but it doesn't make sense

And also the wedding of Achilles' parents wtf

honestly the amount of beef gods have against babies in greek mythology is kind of funny like imagine your ass has just been born or is even only about to be born and some guy with power over the sun or whatever, for reasons completely out of your control, is like actually Fuck you in particular. like idk what you want man im one day old. hermes is the exception though that baby absolutely deserved it

I hate retellings that are advertised as feminist but instead are just the same plot from the female character's pov and her pov is that all the women in her life are inexplicably terrible and shallow and she hates them all