Ajax one of the bravest of Greek warriors in the Iliad; see Iliad VII, 321, for the incident Socrates refers to here.
the long chines spines or backbones, or (as here) cuts of meat containing the backbone; what are now called "tenderloins."
"seats of precedent . . . ." Iliad VIII, 162.
"They are holy angels . . . ." probably from Hesiod's Works and Days, 121 and following lines.
Hellas in ancient times, Greece, including the islands and colonies; the lands populated and ruled by Hellenes.
Dionysiac festivals here, specifically, festivals including dramatic performances. (Dionysus was, among other things, the ancient god of wine and fertility, and his worship often involved orgiastic rites. The evolution of tragedy is linked to Dionysiac worship, and the performance of tragedies was part of yearly festivals in honor of the god.)
