Sophocles

Born around 497 or 496 BCE at Colonus near Athens, Sophocles grew up during the rise of classical Athens and became one of its most celebrated tragic playwrights. Ancient sources credit him with writing more than 120 plays, though only seven survive complete today. Alongside Aeschylus and Euripides, he is remembered as one of the three great tragedians of ancient Greece.

Sophocles was not only a writer but also a public figure in Athenian life. Traditional accounts describe him as successful in dramatic competitions and active in civic service as well. His plays are admired for the way they balance strong plot, psychological insight, and deep questions about law, loyalty, pride, suffering, and the will of the gods.

Modern readers and listeners most often meet him through Oedipus Rex, Antigone, Electra, and Philoctetes. Even after more than two thousand years, his work still feels immediate: people struggle to do the right thing, discover truths too late, and face the limits of power and knowledge.