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What happens to Ajax after the armor of Achilles is awarded to Odysseus?
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Sophocles
Marble portrait bust said to be of Sophocles.
After the armor of Achilles is awarded to Odysseus, Ajax is consumed by humiliation and rage. In his madness, he attempts to assassinate the Greek commanders, Agamemnon and Menelaus, along with Odysseus, but his efforts are thwarted by the goddess Athena.123
Unable to bear the shame of his defeat and failed vengeance, Ajax commits suicide by throwing himself upon the sword he had previously received as a gift from Hector. Although the Greek commanders initially order that his body be left unburied as punishment, Odysseusâdemonstrating a profound understanding of the fragility of human fortuneâsuccessfully persuades them to allow Ajax an honorable burial.123