Post Iliad

After the truce called by both sides following Hektor's death, the fighting continued. The Amazons joined on the Trojan side after his death and while they decent fighters, they could not beat Achilles wrath. Achilles killed their queen and sent them to Troy's walls. In a shameful display by the gods, Paris killed Achilles by shooting an arrow at Achilles' heel with the help of Apollo. Of all people, Paris? Are you kidding me? The pretty boy?

After the death of Achilles, I was so excited to get Achilles armor. After all  he's my cousin and the best fighter there is. My main challenger for it was Odysseus who is very strategic and cunning, but he can't possibly match my fighting skills nor match what I did for the Achaeans on the battle field. We both stated our claims to the Achaeans who are going to vote to see who gets it.....The vote is in.......WHAT?? They gave it to Odysseus??!?!

After this terrible disgrace of a vote, I went into a rage. I wanted to kill my comrades for this. In the process, I totally lost it. I slaughtered a herd of sheep thinking they were all Achaeans and I can't live like this. This is disgraceful and I've got to take my life.

Bye Bye Hektor

Achilles and Hektor are now facing off outside the walls of Troy. Achilles has just found out that he was tricked by the gods in order to spare more Trojans and his anger is pointing straight to Hektor. Hektor ran around the city’s walls for three times until he stopped running and turned around to fight Achilles because he was tricked. Since he was wearing Achilles old armor, I think it was a mistake to fight him as Achilles knows the armor's weak spots. Nevertheless, the pride of the Trojans went down with a spear right through his throat. After Achilles killed him, he stripped off his former armor and dragged the body around the city. Hektor, however, did tell Achilles about his impending death before his last breath.

After killing Hektor, Achilles and I as well as many other Achaeans spent most of the day weeping for the loss of Patroklos.  In memory of him, he decided to hold funeral games. I tied Odysseus in wrestling and I also tied Diomedes in combat. As a result, I won many gifts straight from Achilles.

Priam has arrived at Achilles house to recapture the body of his son, Hektor. The body has been dragged through the dirt, but the gods have preserved it through oil and protected it from predators. Priam offered Achilles ransom and also talked about love for his own father as Achilles has killed many of Priam’s sons. This was the first time I saw Achilles fully aware of the anguish he has caused for the Trojans and as a result,  decided to give back the body. Priam and his men ended up sleeping over, but left in the middle of the night with Hektor’s body. As part of the agreement, we will not fight for 11 days as the Trojans mourn the death of Hektor.

The battle between Achilles and Hektor

Achilles is back!

Great news! Achilles has called an assembly to announce that he will return to the fighting! This will be a huge boost for our guys as we have been reeling lately. Agamemnon offered all this gifts he previously offered him, but Achilles brushed that aside by saying he wanted to fight now. Odysseus proclaimed that the men should eat as they will have more strength on a full stomach. The minor quibble ended when Achilles heeded Odysseus’ advice and decided to eat before entering battle.

Achilles has entered the battle and I have never seen a more angered Achilles in all my life. He now has new armor made for him after Hektor stole it off Patroklos’ body. He has sought out Hektor numerous times, but the gods have protected him from facing Achilles wrath and killing him. In fact, Achilles just killed Hektor’s brother, Polydorus, and Hektor began fighting him, but when Achilles was about to kill him, he was saved by Apollo.

Bodies are lying all over the place because of Achilles tremendous fighting. He is sparing no one as he is still seeking revenge for the death of Patroklos. In fact, he has split the Trojan army in two by himself! He has battled in the river and the river is clogging up with all the bodies he has killed. I have never seen a battle turn so fast in my entire life as Achilles has singlehandedly pushed the Trojans in their city walls.

Our previous attempt to get Achilles back fighting:

Protect Patroklos' body

          Although Achilles has not yet determined to enter the fight, he is going to allow Patroklos to wear his armor in an attempt to fight off the Trojans from burning our ships. I think this is a very good idea because it may give us an edge we need to save our ships and once they see Achilles armor, they may be scared. At the very least, it will put a thought into their heads that Achilles may be back soon.

                      Patroklos did a very admirable job for us as he was able to push the Trojans further back, but unfortunately he was killed by Hektor. Menelaus has asked me to protect his body so we may return his body to Achilles. The Trojans are doing their best to grab his body, but I’m protecting him with every ounce of strength I have. I’ve already slaughtered numerous Trojans today, but I couldn’t keep them from taking Achilles armor as Hektor ripped it off and placed it on himself. I bet he regrets that later. It got to a point where I told Menelaus I needed more help protecting the body so we called for help from the Danaans. All in all, it was a bloody battle, but I ordered our men to stand hard and fast about him and fight at close quarters and we did.  If Achilles doesn’t enter this fight now after his best friend was killed, I don’t think he ever will.

The fight over Patroklos' body

We must defend our ships

Calchas has spoken to Little Ajax and me through Poseidon and granted us new strength.  In the midst of the battle, the Trojans have done their best to advance further in our camp, but we are holding our own. I am fighting in the center and holding my ground here to defend our fort.  It appears we have killed most of their best fighters, but Hektor remains.

Poseidon has arrived to tell us that the strongest fighters must grab the strongest armor and as a result, I put on the heaviest armor I can find. During battle, I was able to pick up a giant boulder and hurl it at Hektor who definitely got injured as he was dragged away from the front line by his men.

Another battle between Hektor has arisen as we fight over our ships. I was able to kill Caletor, but in response, they killed my friend Lycophron. I will not stand for this. I immediately told Teucer to send a bow at Hektor, but his bow mysteriously snaps. I then called out to all of my men to defend these ships at all costs as we will not win this war if they destroy our ships. I was able to use a massive pike to fend off incoming Trojans. With Achilles still out, I must be the leader in battle for these men. Our ships are intact, for now.

Poseidon through Calchas:

Aiantes, you two, remembering the spirit of warcraft and that that of shivering panic, must save the Achaian people. Elsewhere in truth I do not fear the Trojans' invincible hands, though in full force they have swarmed over our great wall; since the strong-greaved Achaians will be able to hold the rest of them. But I fear most terribly disaster to us in the one place where that berserk flamelike leads them against us, Hektor, who claims he is the son of Zeus of the high strength. May this be the message some one of the gods gives your minds to carry, that you stand fast strongly yourselves, urge the rest to stand also. Thus, hard though he sweeps on, you might stay him beside the fast-running ships, even though the very Olympian wakes him to battle. (13.47-58)

Aias response:

So for me also now the invincible hands on my spearshaft are furious, my strength is rising, and both feet beneath me are sweeping me onward, so that I long even for single combat with Hektor, Priam's son, the forver avid of battle (13.77-80)

It doesn't look good...

Despite the fact that Achilles spurned our offer, we must regroup. I am actually surprised Agamemnon was willing to give up numerous possessions to get Achilles back, but he then proclaimed that he was still the greatest king so he still thinks he’s better then Achilles. With that attitude, we may never get Achilles back. Nestor has approached us with an idea, a suggestion that we send a spy to find out the Trojan ways. The suggestion quickly gained support as Diomedes and Odysseus stepped forward to spy on the Trojans.

This most recent battle has been a tough one. We’ve had numerous leaders injured including Agamemnon, Diomedes, and Odysseus. In fact, I carried Odysseus back into the tent to prevent him from getting injured even more after they surrounded him. He took a shot to the ribs.  We also had Machaon injured by the hands of Paris so I was forced to retreat in the fight. These injuries are piling up and the future doesn’t look promising, again.

Diomedes and Odysseus on their raid and massacre

We need Achilles

Oh man, what a reversal. Just moments ago we had victory in our grasps, but now, it doesn’t look good. We are getting beat soundly and there is no help from the gods in sight.  Despite the fact that doom and gloom might be approaching an eagle has just arrived carrying a fawn and this is a good motivator. While we begin a comeback, Teucer is killing guys left and right with his arrows. He was rolling until he got injured and unfortunately, it looks like we need Achilles now more than ever to win this war.

While we sat in the camp, Agamemnon realized what most of us already knew-we needed Achilles. He decided to send me, Odysseus, and Phoenix to communicate with him. If he accepted, Agamemnon would give him a bounty of gifts in return for him fighting. When we went to talk to Achilles, he would not budge. It was clear to me that the spat between him and Agamemnon cut deep and with that, our fate may be doomed.

Achilles and Ajax

A duel!

Here we are in the middle of the fight and Diomedes is doing his best job to help fill in for Achilles, but we greatly miss him. He is the heart and soul of the Achaeans. The devastation is large on both sides. We have lost too many men to count. The good news is that the Trojans haven’t been much luckier as we’ve slaughtered quite a few of them too. It seems like everyone in this battle is getting help from gods, but me. It now appears we have the Trojans on their heels.

Hektor has gone to the front of the battle and offered any of the Achaeans to fight him. Menelaus stepped forward, but Agamemnon knew better because Hektor is a much better fighter than Menelaus and we don’t need him to get killed. I stepped forward to take on the challenge along with 8 other men, but everyone knows I'm the guy to fight Hektor with Achilles out. The battle starts and we both missed with our spears, but I drew blood with my lance. As we were about to sword fight, the battle was ended by heralds. We ended the duel and made a pact of friendship. Nestor comes and tells us to have a day for the dead and it’s a good idea so we can bury them. The Trojans came back a day later and offered everything but Helen; however we know it’s time to finish these Trojans off.

Ajax and Hektor fighting

It's time to Rumble

So, here we are in a terrible bout of sickness for our people and all Agamemnon has to do is give up his woman to end it. But no, he can’t do that so he has to go and steal Achilles prize woman instead. I expect Achilles to revolt; wait a minute, here comes Achilles to challenge him and rightfully so. The fact that Agamemnon thinks he is the leader because he brought the most men is hogwash. When the battle is on the line, it will be my brute strength and Achilles bravery that will save the Greeks.

After Agamemnon says he has had enough of the war and is leaving, his troops follow him, but this can’t be the end. Sure enough, here comes Odysseus to fire everyone up for battle and I’m ready to fight.

I may not be the most intelligent man out here, but I will never back down from a fight like Paris just did. He wanted to battle anyone of us one on one, and while I would have loved the chance to cut his head off, Menelaus stepped forward. Despite backing down from his claim, his brother just called him out for being a coward and they are going to fight!...... The battle seems to have died down, but I managed to do what I do best; go to battle and kill.

Paris and Menelaus begin to fight

Background

I am Ajax the Greater, son of Telamon and Perrboea. My grandpa, Aeacus, is the son of Zeus. My half brother is my close friend, Teucer. I am also the king of Salamis. My cousin, Achilles, and I are the bravest and strongest warriors anyone can find. I am known as Ajax the Greater to distinguish myself from another Ajax, son of Oileus. People also refer to me as Telamonian Aias and the bulwark of the Achaeans.





Teucer and I

Bibliography of sources:

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