Sophocles

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Sophocles stands as a tribute to this iconic artist, a master tragedian in ancient Greece's annals. Who is depicted? Sophocles (pronounced /ˈsɒfəkliːz/; Greek: Σοφοκλῆς) lived from c. 497/6 – winter 406/5 BC and ranks among the three surviving ancient Greek tragedians. His plays predated those of Aeschylus, while being contemporaneous with or preceding Euripides' works. Over his lifetime, Sophocles penned 120 plays, though only seven remain intact: Ajax, Antigone, The Women of Trachis, Oedipus the King, Electra, Philoctetes and Oedipus at Colonus. For nearly five decades, Sophocles dominated Athens' dramatic competitions during the Lenaea and Dionysia festivals. He entered 30 contests, emerging victorious in 18 and never finishing lower than second place. Aeschylus claimed 14 victories, while Euripides secured 5. The renowned tragedies of Sophocles, featuring Oedipus and Antigone, are collectively known as the Theban plays, though each was part of a distinct tetralogy now lost to history. By introducing a third actor, Sophocles revolutionized drama, diminishing the chorus' role in plot presentation. His characters also became more complex than those of predecessors like Aeschylus.