Reader.

Why is Ajax called Ajax. Ask anyone and he'll say well Ajax was an ancient greek god. Ok. But only recently I was looking at an encyclopedia and it turned out that at the battle of Troje there were at least two(!)Ajaxes. It doesn't have to be one of these but I would certainly like to know if it is, and if so which one, for one of them was the second-best fighter during that war(second only to Achilles) and the other was punished severely by the gods for loosing himself with a venerable woman. Both had a lot to be proud of too. I would like to know which god was the "model" for Ajax.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2000

Answers

Who cares how to sa Ajax. Say it however you like and stop worrying.

-- Anonymous, December 01, 2002

Being Dutch Ill help you out with the little pronouncation problem you are having.

Ajax is spelled like this: "Ah" "Yaks" Ajacied is spelled like this: "Ah" "Yak" "Seed"

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2002

Ah-yaks-sea-duhn

-- Anonymous, March 21, 2002

I pronounce Ajax "eye-ax", as I understand this to be the correct Dutch way of pronouncing it. But I have no idea how to pronounce "Ajacieden"! Any help there?

Cheers.

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2002

Like most of you, I always pronounced it Eh! Jack's, but my Dutch cousins pronounce it Ah!Yak's, anyway when I sign my emails to friends Jxxx the spellcheck always hopefully offers me Ajax as an alternative so now I call myself Eh! Jack's, spelt like the Greater and Lesser Warriors, of course. Not much help to you all this, I know

-- Anonymous, May 25, 2001

As a Greek,i can assure u,that Ajax got his name from the warrior Eantas(in Greek,or Ajax in english...it's the same person).He was a leader,and a warrior,that was known to be a "giant"(probably because he was the biggest of all warriors)...He faught in the Trojan war...he was one of the leaders...

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2001

Ajax the Lesser also tamed a dragon that was approximately 5 cubits long (just over 9 feet) and it followed him everywhere, like a dog.

-- Anonymous, March 29, 2001

This is another really fascinating story to emerge from the discussion boards. Thanks so much for posting this! I hope Ajax agree to play this annual game. It sounds like an equitable (and very un- American, meaning no dollars involved) resolution to this "licensing" issue! I love it.

-- Anonymous, June 22, 2000

There is another interesting story concerning the Ajax name.

There was another sports club, before Amsterdam called Ajax, namely Ajax Leiden. The guys who set up Ajax Amsterdam, approached the people in Leiden and asked permission, to use the Ajax name. This permission was granted, on the understanding that the name would revert to Leiden after 100 jears. So in the year 2000, they (Amsterdam) would have to give the name up.

Fortunately, Leiden's archive was destroyed in a fire some years ago, so the original document was destroyed. Therefor Leiden can not prove their case. There is a possibility that a copy of this document is in the archive of the regional office of the Dutch soccer bond the KNVB. However these archives are currently locked away in a container, whilst building work is carried out. Leiden intend to search this archive, when it becomes available, in a few weeks time. The intention from Leiden is to request an annual game between their soccer team and an ajax youth team in exchange for continued rights to use the name.

I'll keep you informed.

-- Anonymous, June 22, 2000

Interesting, this.

In Holland, Ajax is pronounced like this: A (as in 'after', the way the English would pronounce it - not the American way), j (as the y in 'you'), a (same as the first a, but a bit shorter), x (as in 'mix' - as you'd expect it).

I've met a lot of American soccer fans and most of them pronounce it the same way. How many of you actually pronounce the j in Ajax as in 'job', and the a as in 'Abraham'?

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

I wonder how most of you pronounce Ajax. The dutch say it "eye- ax"(the j is pronounced like and i), while americans will pronounce it Ajax, (with the J being a real j, like in Japan)

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

Jim has written the history of "our" Ajax. But indeed there was another Ajax in Greek mythology. His name was Ajax The Lesser and was said to be the swiftest runner in Greece. He too fought in the Trojan War. After the fall of Troy he violated the temple of Athena by dragging the phrophet Cassandra from the altar of the goddes. Athena appealed to the sea god Poseidon to avenge the sacrilege. When the Greeks sailed home Posseidon sent a great tempest. Ajax The Lesser was shipwrecked, but managed to swim to shore. Clinging to a jagged rock, he boasted that he was a man whom the sea could not drown. Angered by his words Poseidon split the rock with his trident and Ajax was swept away by the waves. (As written in Microsoft Encarta 98 Enclopedia)

As u can see the boosting is quite like the Amsterdam way of bragging but Ajax the Lesser however is not the one our beloved club is anmed after. It's indeed Ajax son of Telamon.

I'd like to add to Jim's story that Ajax was angered by the facthe didnt got Achilles's armor of dead he resolved into killing the Greek leaders Agamemnon and Menelaus. To prevent this the goddess Athena struck him with madness. In his delerium Ajax threw himself on his sword.

Nickname Ajax: "bullwark of the Achaeans" given to him by Homer cause Ajax was an enormous man, slow in speech, but unshakable in battle.

-- Anonymous, April 30, 2000

I did a little research last year (very little) and discovered the following:

Who Was Ajax?

"Alone of them all the spirit of Ajax, son of Telamon, stood apart ... the heroic Ajax, who next to Achilles was the finest of all in looks and the noblest in action."

Ajax was the first son of Telamon, king of Salamis, friend of Heracles. A great warrior, Ajax was one of the leaders against Troy and one of the suitors of Helen. When the time came to sail against Troy, Ajax became leader of the Salaminians and contributed 12 ships to the Achaean fleet.

During the Trojan War, Ajax fought in single combat against Hector until the heralds parted them. The warriors, then, exchanged gifts: Hector gave him his sword and Ajax gave Hector his belt.

"Ever since I took into my hand this gift from Hector, my greatest enemy, I have gotten no good from the Greeks. Yes, men's proverb is true: the gifts of enemies are no gifts and bring no good."

- Ajax

This proved to be true, because Ajax gave Hector the belt by which he was dragged by Achilles, and Hector gave Ajax the sword with which he killed himself.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2000