Sophocles

Sophocles was born at Colonus, near Athens in Greece in 496 BC. He died in 406 BC in Athens. Together with Aeschylus and Euripides he is generally thought to be one of ancient Athens’ three greatest tragic playwrights. Amongst his surviving works, the best known are probably a trilogy comprising: Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone.

Sophocles’ was the son of a wealthy manufacturer of body armour and his father’s wealth allowed for him to give a good education to his son. The exact date of Sophocles’ first foray into the Agônes (or drama competitions) of the City Dionysia is not known, although we do know that Sophocles obtained his first victory in 468 BC (on which occasion he defeated Aeschylus). Such an auspicious beginning then saw him develop a career of almost unparalleled success and productivity. He composed around 123 plays for the festival of Dionysus in Athens and won perhaps as many as 24 victories. Astonishingly, he never came lower than second in any competition in which he took part.

As well as being a successful dramatist, Sophocles was also a prominent figure in the political life of Athens. In 442 he was among the number of the treasurers responsible for receiving and managing the tribute of Athens’ subject-allies in the Delian League. In 440 he was voted one of only ten strategi (a type of military and naval commander). The officer senior to him on that occasion was the mighty Pericles. Ancient sources represent Sophocles as a congenial, affable and much-cherished public figure; he involved himself vigorously in society and is reported to have possessed dazzling creative faculties. Sophocles outlived Euripides by just a few months and died just before the end of the Peloponnesian War.

Only seven of his tragedies are fully extant. They are: Ajax, Antigone, Electra, Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, Philocletes and The Trachinian Women. All of his surviving plays date from his most productive and developed phase.

Sophocles is recognised as having inaugurated several significant dramatic innovations, including a manner of "scene painting" (or pictorial stage property). He also increased the numbers of actor/dancers in the chorus, and added of a third actor on stage. He is noted for his lithe language and outstanding intellectual artistry and his plays choose to focus on the interplay between imperfect personal judgement, or a character flaw, and the discriminations of cruel fate, culminating, eventually and inevitably, with profound human loss and disaster. The stylistic precision and vibrant characterisation of Sophocles’ plays render them, in many ways, quintessential ancient Greek drama.