Similarities Between Aias And Odysseus

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Among the heroes of the Homeric epics, one who stands out as one of the greatest Achaian warriors after the Peleid Achilleus is Aias, son of Telamon. A major character in the Iliad, Aias accomplishes many martial feats, while his ghost also briefly appears in the Odyssey. Aias’ interactions with Odysseus, son of Laertes, differ fundamentally between the two works, being adversarial in the Odyssey despite being primarily fraternal in the Iliad, illuminating Odysseus’ self-serving character and potentially flawed narration. Aias’ hostility in the Odyssey is very clearly portrayed in his only appearance. In Hades, all other souls flock to the sacrifice Odysseus makes in order to be able to briefly become substantial once more. Aias’ soul stands
On the most basic level, his epithets within the description of the wrestling contest, “huge” and “great Telamonian Aias”, simply state that he is large (Iliad 491; XXIII:708, 722). Moreover, Homer’s repeated use of visual imagery emphasizes this point. As Aias and Odysseus begin to wrestle, Homer compares their “heavy arms” to the “rafters […] in the roof of a high house” which keep out even the strongest winds (Iliad 491; XXIII:711-713). A high house, likely the abode of a wealthy man, would have rafters stretching across the ceiling, so this simile would invoke an impression of Aias as tremendous. Later, after Odysseus succeeds in bringing Aias to the ground, the former “endeavor[s] to lift [Aias]”, but, despite his strength, “still [can] not raise [Aias] clear” off the ground (Iliad 492; XXIII:729-730). The heroes of Homeric epics are often depicted lifting with one hand what two of Homer’s contemporaries could not. The fact that one of the most accomplished of those heroes cannot even lift Aias from the ground is a testament to the incredible bulk of Telamon’s
The huge difference in the relationships between him and Odysseus within the two works can be partially explained by their argument over the armor of Achilleus, but largely hints at the manipulation of his representation by Odysseus. Seeking self-glorification in the court of the Phaiakians, Odysseus repeatedly emphasizes his attempts at reconciliation in his narration, utilizing excessive praise of Aias to cast himself as a sympathetic figure who sincerely wants to repair the relationship between the two men. Ultimately, the widely diverging descriptions of the son of Telamon in the two works serve to hint at Odysseus’ scheming nature and the unreliability of whatever he

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