Ajax, 1184 B.C., in the Trojan War, slew himself in a frenzy of anger against Ulysses, to whom instead of to himself the armour of the dead Hector had been allotted.
Codrus, 1070 B.C., the last King of Athens; he was at war with the Heraclidæ, an oracle had foretold that the victory would fall to the nation whose king died in battle. Codrus entered the enemy’s camp in disguise, provoked a quarrel with two of the soldiers, and was killed by them.
Dido, 1000 B.C., Princess of Tyre, widow of Sichæus, having founded Carthage, stabbed herself on her funeral pile, to avoid marriage with Jarbos, she having vowed eternal fidelity to her husband’s memory.
Lycurgus, 900 B.C., Lawgiver of Sparta, prepared a code of laws for the people, bound them to observe these laws during his absence, then left the State, and destroyed himself. These laws remained in force for 700 years.
Sardanapalus, 759 B.C., King of Assyria, burned himself in his palace with his wives.
Aristodemus, 730 B. C. having killed his daughter to propitiate the oracle at Delphi, slew himself on her tomb, from remorse.
Charondas, 560 B.C., the Lawgiver of Catana, a Greek colony in Sicily, made it a law, with the penalty of death, that no man should enter the assembly armed: returning one day from pursuing some robbers beyond the city, he entered the assembly to report, without having laid aside his weapons. Being taxed with breaking his own laws, he slew himself on the spot.
Lucretia, 510 B.C., wife of Tarquinius Collatinus, stabbed herself in the presence of her husband and father as a protest against her attempted rape by Sextus, son of Tarquinius Superbus.
Artemidorus, 479 B.C., threw his life away in the battle of Platæa.
Themistocles, 449 B.C., an Athenian General, was banished, and ultimately poisoned himself.