Sophocles

Sophocles was born in Colonus, a village just north of Athens, into a wealthy family. His father Sophillus was a prosperous armor manufacturer. The area of his birth would later become the setting for his final and most personal tragedy, Oedipus at Colonus.

Young Sophocles received the traditional aristocratic education of Athenian youth, including music, poetry, gymnastics, and dance. His natural beauty and talent for music and dance made him stand out among his peers, and he would later be chosen for ceremonial roles.

Following the Greek naval victory over Persia at the Battle of Salamis, the young Sophocles was chosen to lead the chorus of boys in the victory celebration. He performed naked and anointed with oil, playing the lyre, an honor reflecting both his beauty and musical skill.

Sophocles is believed to have studied tragedy under the great Aeschylus, learning the craft of dramatic poetry from the master who had revolutionized Greek theater. This training would shape his own innovative approach to the dramatic form.

In his first competition at the prestigious City Dionysia festival, Sophocles defeated the established master Aeschylus. The victory was so unexpected that the archon Apsephion used the generals under Cimon as judges instead of the usual lottery-selected citizens, marking a new era in Athenian tragedy.

Sophocles married Nicostrate, an Athenian woman of good family. Their son Iophon would follow his father's footsteps and become a tragic poet himself, though never achieving his father's greatness. Sophocles also had another son, Ariston, with a companion named Theoris.

Sophocles made a revolutionary innovation in Greek drama by introducing the third actor, expanding the possibilities for complex interaction and dialogue. This technical advance, along with his reduction of the chorus's role, transformed the nature of Greek tragedy.

Sophocles was elected to the important political office of Hellenotamias, one of the treasurers managing the finances of the Delian League. This position reflected his respected status in Athenian society beyond his theatrical achievements.

Sophocles wrote Antigone, one of his greatest tragedies exploring the conflict between individual conscience and state authority. The play was so admired that it reportedly contributed to his election as one of Athens' ten generals (strategoi) for the Samian War.

Sophocles served as strategos (general) alongside the great statesman Pericles in the military expedition against Samos. Though primarily a playwright, this appointment demonstrated the Athenian ideal that cultural achievement qualified citizens for political and military leadership.

Sophocles created what is often considered the perfect tragedy, Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King). Though it won only second prize at the Dionysia, Aristotle later cited it as the ideal example of tragic form. The play profoundly influenced Western drama and psychology.

Sophocles played a leading role in introducing the healing cult of Asclepius to Athens, housing the sacred snake in his own home until a proper temple was built. For this pious act, he was later heroized after death under the name Dexion (the Receiver).

Following the catastrophic Athenian defeat in Sicily, Sophocles was appointed one of ten probouloi, special commissioners given emergency powers to guide the city through crisis. At over 80 years old, his wisdom and judgment were still sought by his fellow citizens.

Sophocles composed Electra, his powerful treatment of Agamemnon's daughter and her quest for vengeance. The play showcased his mastery of character psychology and his ability to sustain dramatic tension, remaining influential in Western theater.

At the remarkable age of 87, Sophocles wrote Philoctetes, winning first prize at the City Dionysia. The play explored themes of suffering, betrayal, and redemption through the story of the abandoned Greek archer on Lemnos, demonstrating his undiminished creative powers.

Upon learning of the death of his younger rival Euripides in Macedonia, Sophocles reportedly dressed his chorus in mourning at the proagon ceremony. Despite their different approaches to tragedy, he honored his fellow dramatist and competitor.

Shortly before his death, Sophocles completed Oedipus at Colonus, a profound meditation on old age, suffering, and redemption set in his own birthplace. The play, produced posthumously by his grandson, showed his artistic powers remained vital to the very end.

Sophocles died in Athens at approximately 90 years of age, having written over 120 plays and won at least 18 victories at dramatic festivals. Various legends surround his death, including that he died from joy at a dramatic victory. He was buried in his family tomb on the road to Decelea.