A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

ajacis: gen.sg. of Ajax,-acis (s.m.III), abl.sg. Ajace = Gk. Aias, “the name of two Greeks renowned for their bravery; “Ajax Telamonius, son of Telamon, who contended with Ulysses for the possession of the arms of Achilles, and when the former obtained them, bcame insane and killed himself. From his blood the hyacinth sprang up” (Ovid) (Lewis & Short); epithet “in honor of Ajax, the Greek hero who at the siege of Troy committed suicide in a fit of pique because the armor of Achilles was awarded to Odysseus. This specific epithet was applied to Delphinium ajacis because the marking on the flower were thought to resemble the Greek letters Aiai” (Stearn 1996); [Delphinium Ajacis L. “the plant, according to Ovid, springing from the blood of Ajax, as shown by the letters AIA on one of the petals” (Fernald 1950) [> Gk. aias,-antos (s.m.III), Ajax. “Sophocles derives it fancifully from aiai” (Liddell & Scott); ai or ai “interjection of astonishment or grief” (Liddell & Scott)].