Discourses · Character
Ajax
Greek hero, used to discuss madness and honor.
minor
Also known as Ajax 281
First appearance: i of the things which are in our power and not in our power
Ajax shows up with force in IX: That When We Cannot Fulfil That Which the Character of a Man Promises, We Assume the Character of a Philosopher. The page is where that presence becomes real.
Referenced in the simile of lifting a stone that Ajax lifted, illustrating the impossible burden of pretending to be a philosopher.
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In IX: That When We Cannot Fulfil That Which the Character of a Man Promises, We Assume the Character of a Philosopher: Referenced in the simile of lifting a stone that Ajax lifted, illustrating the impossible burden of…
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Relationship types
- Other
Character groups
- Assorted historical, mythological, and literary figures
- Homeric characters
- Mythological exemplars
- Philosophers and rulers
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Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This passage is the dramatic climax because it delivers the emotional and psychological peak of Epictetus’s ar…
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Ajax appears across 2 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
- IX: That When We Cannot Fulfil That Which the Character of a Man Promises, We Assume the Character of a Philosopher
- To (Or Against) a Person Who Was One of Those Who Were Not Valued (Esteemed) by Him
Chapter companion notes
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See Ajax in i of the things which are in our power and not in our power