Ajax the Great
Ajax son of Telamon was the tallest and strongest of the Greek warriors at Troy, a tower of a man who fought with a massive shield and never received divine aid.
The Legend of Ajax the Great
Son of Telamon and half-brother of Teucer, Ajax the Great carried a massive shield of seven ox-hides into battle at Troy alongside Achilles, Odysseus, and Diomedes. He fought Hector to a draw in single combat and defended Patroclus's body against the entire Trojan line. When Achilles fell, Ajax and Odysseus both claimed his divine armour. Athena and the Greek chieftains awarded it to Odysseus, and Ajax, driven mad by shame, fell on his own sword. Even Odysseus mourned him in Hades, where Ajax's shade refused to speak.
Parents
Telamon and Periboea
Children
Eurysaces
Symbols
Fun Fact
The cleaning product Ajax was named after this hero — "stronger than dirt" echoing his mythic power.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Ajax
🗡 heroThe immovable warrior who held the Greek line
The massive warrior from Salamis who carried a shield like a tower wall and held the Greek line when every other defender broke.
Ajax the Lesser
🗡 heroSwift warrior of the Locrians
Ajax son of Oileus was a fast, fierce, impious warrior whose assault on Cassandra in Athena's temple brought divine wrath upon the Greek fleet.
Telamon
🗡 herowar
King of Salamis, Argonaut, companion of Heracles, and father of Ajax the Great and Teucer.
Hector
🗡 heroChampion of Troy
Hector was Troy's greatest warrior, who fought not for glory but to defend his city, wife, and son.
Hippomedon
🗡 heroNone recorded
One of the Seven against Thebes, a towering warrior known for his ferocity in battle
Dolops
🗡 heroCombat, lineage
Trojan warrior and son of Lampus who fought bravely before falling at Troy
Neoptolemus
🗡 heroSon of Achilles
Neoptolemus was Achilles' fierce son, brought to Troy because a prophecy declared the city could not fall without him.
Antilochus
🗡 herowar
Son of Nestor, youngest Greek commander at Troy, beloved companion of Achilles who died protecting his father.
Sarpédon
🗡 heroSon of Zeus who died at Troy
Sarpedon was a son of Zeus and the greatest Lycian warrior at Troy — his death forced Zeus to confront the limits of even divine power.
Achilles
🗡 heroGreatest warrior of the Trojan War
The greatest warrior in the Greek army at Troy, nearly invulnerable thanks to being dipped in the River Styx as an infant — except for the heel by which his mother held him.
Chromios
🗡 heroCombat, defence
Trojan warrior who fought in the defence of Troy during the long Greek siege
Schedius
🗡 heroPhocian leadership, combat
Commander of the Phocian contingent at Troy who was killed by Hector during the great battles