Sophocles

Sophocles was a Greek playwright and one of the three great tragic writers of classical Athens. He was born around 496 BCE in Colonus, near Athens, and died in 406 BCE. He wrote 123 dramas, of which only seven have survived, including Oedipus Rex, Antigone, and Women of Trachis. He was also a distinguished public figure who held various political and military positions in Athens. Sophocles was born into a wealthy family and received a good education. He was interested in art and music from an early age and performed in the victory paean after the Battle of Salamis in 480 BCE. He began his career as a playwright in 468 BCE, when he defeated the veteran Aeschylus in a dramatic competition. He went on to win 18 victories at the City Dionysia and never ranked lower than second place. He also won several prizes at the Lenaea festival. Sophocles was influenced by Aeschylus, but he also introduced his own innovations to the genre of tragedy. He added a third actor, reduced the role of the chorus, and developed his characters more fully. He also experimented with different forms of plot structure, such as trilogies and connected tetralogies. His plays explore themes such as fate, free will, justice, morality, family, and human suffering. His language is rich and poetic, blending realism and lyricism. Sophocles was not only a successful playwright but also an active citizen of Athens. He served as a treasurer, a general, a diplomat, and a priest during his long life. He was a friend of Pericles and Herodotus and a respected elder of his community. He died shortly before the end of the Peloponnesian War, leaving behind a legacy of artistic excellence and civic engagement.