< Ajax, son of Telamon >

1 Origin

Ajax was born in Salamis in 1240 BC.

Ajax's father was Telamon, son of Aeacus.

Ajax's mother was Periboea (or Eriboea).

2 Family

Ajax married Lysidice.

Lysidice's father was Coronus, son of Caeneus.

Coronus was the leader of the Lapiths who later fought against Heracles.

Ajax and Lysidice had a son, Philaeus (or Philius).

Ajax had two other sons during the Troy campaign.

1) Aeantides was born to Ajax and Glauce, daughter of Cycnus.

2) Eurysaces was born to Ajax and Tecmessa, daughter of Teuthras.

3 Others

3.1 Marriage to Lysidice

In 1227 BC, Lysidice's father Coronus was killed in battle with Heracles. [Apo.2.7.7, Diod.4.37.3]

In Heracles' army was Ceyx of Trachis. [Apo.2.7.7]

Ceyx was the half-brother of Aeacus, the father of Ajax's father Telamon, and was Telamon's uncle.

Telamon is thought to have participated in Heracles' campaign with his uncle Ceyx.

After Coronus' death, Coronus' daughter Lysidice was taken prisoner and later married to Telamon's son Ajax.

3.2 King of Megara

After the death of Alcathous, the son of Pelops, who succeeded Nisus, the son of Pandion, as king of Megara, Ajax became king of the Megarians.

Ajax was the son of Periboea, the daughter of Alcathous.

3.3 Expedition of Troy

In 1188 BC, the sons of Antenor expelled the sons of Priam and occupied Ilium.

The sons of Priam requested reinforcements from the Achaeans, who had been on friendly terms with them through the use of the Hellespont.

The Achaeans organized an expeditionary force against Troy, with Achilles as its commander-in-chief.

Ajax was Achilles' cousin, and is thought to have participated in Achilles' expedition.

In 1186 BC, Priam's son Hector, the commanders-in-chief of the attack on Ilium, Achilles, and Ajax, were killed in battle, and the Achaeans gave up on recapturing Ilium.

Ajax was buried at Rhoeteium, northeast of Ilium.

3.4 Aeantidae

Ajax was one of the eponymous tribes of Athens.

Herodotus reports that among the eponymous tribes of Athens, only Ajax had no connection to Athens.

However, Ajax's father Telamon's mother Endeis (or Endais) was the daughter of Sciron, the biological father of Aegeus, the 9th king of Athens.

Sciron's father is also presumed to be the son of Cecrops, the 7th king of Athens, so Ajax was related by blood to the king of the Athenians.

The Aeantidae, whose eponym is Ajax, lived in Oinoe near Marathon.

The name Aeantidae is presumed to be derived from the name of Aeantides, the son of Ajax and Cycnus' daughter Glauce.

1,360 Greeks died in the Battle of Plataea in 479 BC.

Among them were 52 Athenians, all of whom were from the Aeantidae.

Demosthenes, in his funeral oration, names the Aeantidae as a tribe of valor.