Aias in his rage attempts to kill the generals; but Athena sends madness upon him, and he makes a raid upon the flocks and herds of the army, imagining the bulls and rams to be the Argive chiefs.  On awakening from his delusion, he finds that he has fallen irrecoverably from honour and from the favour of the Greeks.  He also imagines that the anger of Athena is unappeasable.  Under this impression he eludes the loving eyes of his captive-bride Tecmessa, and of his Salaminian comrades, and falls on his sword. (’The soul and body rive not more in parting Than greatness going off.’)

But it is revealed through the prophet Calchas, that the wrath of Athena will last only for a day; and on the return of Teucer, Aias receives an honoured funeral, the tyrannical reclamations of the two sons of Atreus being overcome by the firm fidelity of Teucer and the magnanimity of Odysseus, who has been inspired for this purpose by Athena.

AIAS

ATHENA (above).  ODYSSEUS.

ATHENA.  Oft have I seen thee, Laertiades,
Intent on some surprisal of thy foes;
As now I find thee by the seaward camp,
Where Aias holds the last place in your line,
Lingering in quest, and scanning the fresh print
Of his late footsteps, to be certified
If he keep house or no.  Right well thy sense
Hath led thee forth, like some keen hound of Sparta! 
The man is even but now come home, his head
And slaughterous hands reeking with ardent toil. 
Thou, then, no longer strain thy gaze within
Yon gateway, but declare what eager chase
Thou followest, that a god may give thee light.

ODYSSEUS.  Athena, ’tis thy voice!  Dearest in heaven,
How well discerned and welcome to my soul
From that dim distance doth thine utterance fly
In tones as of Tyrrhenian trumpet clang! 
Rightly hast thou divined mine errand here,
Beating this ground for Aias of the shield,
The lion-quarry whom I track to day. 
For he hath wrought on us to night a deed
Past thought—­if he be doer of this thing;
We drift in ignorant doubt, unsatisfied—­
And I unbidden have bound me to this toil.

Brief time hath flown since suddenly we knew
That all our gathered spoil was reaved and slaughtered,
Flocks, herds, and herdmen, by some human hand,
All tongues, then, lay this deed at Aias’ door. 
And one, a scout who had marked him, all alone,
With new-fleshed weapon bounding o’er the plain,
Gave me to know it, when immediately
I darted on the trail, and here in part
I find some trace to guide me, but in part
I halt, amazed, and know not where to look. 
Thou com’st full timely.  For my venturous course,
Past or to come, is governed by thy will.

ATH.  I knew thy doubts, Odysseus, and came forth
Zealous to guard thy perilous hunting-path.

OD.  Dear Queen! and am I labouring to an end?

ATH.  Thou schem’st not idly.  This is Aias’ deed.