"works of Sophocles have survived, the most acclaimed of which are the three Theban plays, which center around the story of Oedipus and his offspring. The Theban Trilogy consists of ""Oedipus the King"", ""Oedipus at Colonus"", and ""Antigone"". Although the plays are often called a ""trilogy,"" they were actually written many years apart. ""Antigone"", the last of the three plays sequentially, was actually first to be written, having been composed in 441 BC, towards the beginning of Sophocles's career. ""Oedipus the King"", the most famous of the three, was written around 429 BC at the midpoint of Sophocles's career. ""Oedipus"
"The Thebans The Thebans or The Theban Brothers (""La Thébaïde ou les Frères ennemis"") is a tragedy in five acts by Jean Racine. His first dramatic work, it was first staged, without great success, on 20 June 1664 at the Petit-Bourbon. It enacts the combat and death of two young, twin brothers, Eteocles and Polynices. The twins, along with their sister Antigone, were children borne of the incestuous marriage of the Theban king Oedipus and his mother Jocasta. This ancient Theban drama attracted great interest among 17th century French writers. The young Racine drew principally upon sources from Sophocles and"
"the Theban plays not a true trilogy (three plays presented as a continuous narrative) but they are not even an intentional series and contain some inconsistencies among them. He also wrote other plays having to do with Thebes, such as the ""Epigoni"", of which only fragments have survived. Each of the plays relates to the tale of the mythological Oedipus, who killed his father and married his mother without knowledge that they were his parents. His family is fated to be doomed for three generations. In ""Oedipus Rex"", Oedipus is the protagonist. Oedipus' infanticide is planned by his parents, Laius"
"state. The Thebans The Thebans or The Theban Brothers (""La Thébaïde ou les Frères ennemis"") is a tragedy in five acts by Jean Racine. His first dramatic work, it was first staged, without great success, on 20 June 1664 at the Petit-Bourbon. It enacts the combat and death of two young, twin brothers, Eteocles and Polynices. The twins, along with their sister Antigone, were children borne of the incestuous marriage of the Theban king Oedipus and his mother Jocasta. This ancient Theban drama attracted great interest among 17th century French writers. The young Racine drew principally upon sources from Sophocles"
"and ""Oedipus at Colonus"" is known to have only been performed in 401 BC, posthumously, at the initiation of Sophocles' grandson. The convention on writing plays for the Greek festivals was to submit them in tetralogies of three tragedies along with one satyr play. Along with the unknown dating of the vast majority of over 120 play titles, it is also largely unknown how the plays were grouped. It is, however, known that the three plays referred to in the modern era as the ""Theban plays"" were never performed together in Sophocles' own lifetime, and are therefore not a trilogy"
"this down to six lines,"" I told him – and then did just that."" The Theban trilogy, made of Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone, has been occasionally performed as a chronologically ordered, three-play show. For his version, McGuinness made the decision to change the traditional order in the story. He explained that ""I've always thought that putting [the play Antigone] at the end of the evening short-changes it remarkably. Although it's the final part of the trilogy, it never feels like the end; in fact, it almost feels as if it were by a different writer."" While some"
"difference, in the ""Thebaid"" ""lies the germ of all the allegorical poetry"". Thebaid (Latin poem) The Thebaid (; ) is a Latin epic in 12 books written in dactylic hexameter by Publius Papinius Statius (AD c. 45 – c. 96). The poem deals with the Theban cycle and treats the assault of the seven champions of Argos against the city of Thebes. Based on Statius' own testimony, the ""Thebaid"" was written AD c. 80–c. 92, beginning when the poet was around 35, and the work is thought to have been published in 91 or 92. According to the last verse"
"Theban Cycle The Theban Cycle () is a collection of four lost epics of ancient Greek literature which related the mythical history of the Boeotian city of Thebes. They were composed in dactylic hexameter verse and were probably written down between 750 and 500 BC. The 9th-century AD scholar and clergyman Photius, in his ""Bibliotheca"", considered the Theban Cycle part of the Epic Cycle; however, modern scholars normally do not. The stories in the Theban Cycle were traditional ones: the two Homeric epics, the ""Iliad"" and ""Odyssey"", display knowledge of many of them. The most famous stories in the Cycle"
"Oedipus at Colonus Oedipus at Colonus (also Oedipus Coloneus, , ""Oidipous epi Kolōnōi"") is one of the three Theban plays of the Athenian tragedian Sophocles. It was written shortly before Sophocles' death in 406 BC and produced by his grandson (also called Sophocles) at the Festival of Dionysus in 401 BC. In the timeline of the plays, the events of ""Oedipus at Colonus"" occur after ""Oedipus Rex"" and before ""Antigone""; however, it was the last of Sophocles' three Theban plays to be written. The play describes the end of Oedipus' tragic life. Legends differ as to the site of Oedipus'"
"Antigone (Sophocles play) Antigone ( ; ) is a tragedy by Sophocles written in or before 441 BC. Of the three Theban plays ""Antigone"" is the third in order of the events depicted in the plays, but it is the first that was written. The play expands on the Theban legend that predates it, and it picks up where Aeschylus' ""Seven Against Thebes"" ends. Prior to the beginning of the play, brothers Eteocles and Polyneices, leading opposite sides in Thebes' civil war, died fighting each other for the throne. Creon, the new ruler of Thebes and brother of the former"
"as Antigone and Patrick O'Kane as Kreon. Other TV adaptations of ""Antigone"" have starred Irene Worth (1949) and Dorothy Tutin (1959), both broadcast by the BBC. Antigone (Sophocles play) Antigone ( ; ) is a tragedy by Sophocles written in or before 441 BC. Of the three Theban plays ""Antigone"" is the third in order of the events depicted in the plays, but it is the first that was written. The play expands on the Theban legend that predates it, and it picks up where Aeschylus' ""Seven Against Thebes"" ends. Prior to the beginning of the play, brothers Eteocles and"
"religious festivals of the Lenaea and the Dionysia. He competed in 30 competitions, won 24, and was never judged lower than second place. Aeschylus won 13 competitions, and was sometimes defeated by Sophocles, while Euripides won four competitions. The most famous tragedies of Sophocles feature Oedipus and also Antigone: they are generally known as the Theban plays, although each play was actually a part of a different tetralogy, the other members of which are now lost. Sophocles influenced the development of drama, most importantly by adding a third actor, thereby reducing the importance of the chorus in the presentation of"
"Thebaid (Latin poem) The Thebaid (; ) is a Latin epic in 12 books written in dactylic hexameter by Publius Papinius Statius (AD c. 45 – c. 96). The poem deals with the Theban cycle and treats the assault of the seven champions of Argos against the city of Thebes. Based on Statius' own testimony, the ""Thebaid"" was written AD c. 80–c. 92, beginning when the poet was around 35, and the work is thought to have been published in 91 or 92. According to the last verse of the poem, Statius wrote the ""Thebaid"" over the course of a"
"writing. Around the same time that the Homeric epics were composed, the Greek alphabet was introduced; the earliest surviving inscriptions date from around 750 BC. European drama was invented in ancient Greece. Traditionally this was attributed to Thespis, around the middle of the sixth century BC, though the earliest surviving work of Greek drama is Aeschylus' tragedy ""The Persians"", which dates to 472 BC. Early Greek tragedy was performed by a chorus and two actors, but by the end of Aeschylus' life, a third actor had been introduced, either by him or by Sophocles. The last surviving Greek tragedies are"
"La Thébaïde La Thébaïde, or The Thebaid, is a tragedy in five acts (with respectively 6, 4, 6, 3 and 6 scenes) in verse by Jean Racine first presented, without much success, on June 20, 1664 at the Palais-Royal in Paris. The play depicts the struggle and death of the young son of Oedipus, as well as that of Antigone. This subject had already occupied many authors before Racine. Thus, the young playwright, still fairly inexperienced, drew particularly from the ""Antigone"" of Sophocles, the ""Phoenician Women"" of Euripides, but especially the ""Antigone"" of Jean Rotrou and the tragedies of Pierre"
"way that was more natural to them and more expressive of their individual character feelings. Sophocles Sophocles (; ""Sophoklēs"", ; 497/6 – winter 406/5 BC) is one of three ancient Greek tragedians whose plays have survived. His first plays were written later than or contemporary with those of Aeschylus, and earlier than or contemporary with those of Euripides. Sophocles wrote over 120 plays during the course of his life, but only seven have survived in a complete form: ""Ajax"", ""Antigone"", ""Women of Trachis"", ""Oedipus Rex"", ""Electra"", ""Philoctetes"" and ""Oedipus at Colonus"". For almost 50 years, Sophocles was the most celebrated"
"father's going to exile, which is one of his bitterest charges against them. In addition to the three Theban plays, there are four surviving plays by Sophocles: ""Ajax"", ""Women of Trachis"", ""Electra"", and ""Philoctetes"", the last of which won first prize in 409 BC in which it competed. ""Ajax"" focuses on the proud hero of the Trojan War, Telamonian Ajax, who is driven to treachery and eventually suicide. Ajax becomes gravely upset when Achilles’ armor is presented to Odysseus instead of himself. Despite their enmity toward him, Odysseus persuades the kings Menelaus and Agamemnon to grant Ajax a proper burial."
"were those of Oedipus and of the ""Seven against Thebes"", both of which were heavily drawn on by later writers of Greek tragedy. The epics of the Theban Cycle were as follows: Theban Cycle The Theban Cycle () is a collection of four lost epics of ancient Greek literature which related the mythical history of the Boeotian city of Thebes. They were composed in dactylic hexameter verse and were probably written down between 750 and 500 BC. The 9th-century AD scholar and clergyman Photius, in his ""Bibliotheca"", considered the Theban Cycle part of the Epic Cycle; however, modern scholars normally"
"though he wrote exclusively in the Doric dialect, which was normally considered unpleasant to hear. The later poet Pindar of Thebes was renowned for his choral lyric poetry. All surviving works of Greek drama were composed by playwrights from Athens and are written exclusively in the Attic dialect. Choral performances were a common tradition in all Greek city-states. The Athenians credited a man named Thespis with having invented drama by introducing the first actor, whose primary purpose was to interact with the leader of the chorus. Later playwrights expanded the number of actors to three, allowing for greater freedom in"
"Hesiod, the first didactic poet, put into epic verse his descriptions of pastoral life, including practical advice on farming, and allegorical myths. The poets Alcaeus of Mytilene, Sappho, Anacreon, and Bacchylides wrote of love, war, and death in lyrics of great feeling and beauty. Pindar celebrated the Panhellenic athletic festivals in vivid odes. The fables of the slave Aesop have been famous for more than 2,500 years. Three of the world's greatest dramatists were Aeschylus, author of the ""Oresteia"" trilogy; Sophocles, author of the Theban plays; and Euripides, author of ""Medea"", ""The Trojan Women"", and ""The Bacchae"". Aristophanes, the greatest"
"Seven Against Thebes Seven Against Thebes (, ""Hepta epi Thēbas""; ) is the third play in an Oedipus-themed trilogy produced by Aeschylus in 467 BC. The trilogy is sometimes referred to as the Oedipodea. It concerns the battle between an Argive army led by Polynices and the army of Thebes led by Eteocles and his supporters. The trilogy won the first prize at the City Dionysia. The trilogy's first two plays, ""Laius"" and ""Oedipus"", as well as the satyr play ""Sphinx"", are no longer extant. When Oedipus, King of Thebes, realized he had married his own mother and had two"
"Oedipus Rex Oedipus Rex, also known by its Greek title, Oedipus Tyrannus ( IPA: [oidípuːs týranːos]), or Oedipus the King, is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles that was first performed around 429 BC. Originally, to the ancient Greeks, the title was simply ""Oedipus"" (""Οἰδίπους""), as it is referred to by Aristotle in the ""Poetics"". It is thought to have been renamed ""Oedipus Tyrannus"" to distinguish it from another of Sophocles' plays, ""Oedipus at Colonus"". In antiquity, the term “tyrant” referred to a ruler, but it did not necessarily have a negative connotation. Of his three Theban plays that have survived,"
"Sophocles Sophocles (; ""Sophoklēs"", ; 497/6 – winter 406/5 BC) is one of three ancient Greek tragedians whose plays have survived. His first plays were written later than or contemporary with those of Aeschylus, and earlier than or contemporary with those of Euripides. Sophocles wrote over 120 plays during the course of his life, but only seven have survived in a complete form: ""Ajax"", ""Antigone"", ""Women of Trachis"", ""Oedipus Rex"", ""Electra"", ""Philoctetes"" and ""Oedipus at Colonus"". For almost 50 years, Sophocles was the most celebrated playwright in the dramatic competitions of the city-state of Athens that took place during the"
"Corneille. The plot is the same as the rest of the Theban plays and poems, in which Eteocles and Polynices, the two warring brothers, fight fiercely, despite the entreaties of their mother, Jocasta and Antigone, their sister, and their two cousins, Menoeceus and Haemon son of Creon. All these characters without exception are killed. Some kill themselves or die of grief. Their characters are quite weakly drawn, Eteocles and Polynices are monotonously violent, Jocasta tired by their declamations, and Creon is a cynical traitor. La Thébaïde La Thébaïde, or The Thebaid, is a tragedy in five acts (with respectively 6,"
"know of them only through preserved fragments, and the reports of other ancient writers. Each of the three great tragedians Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides wrote multiple plays which featured the story. Aeschylus wrote a play called ""Mysians"" which perhaps told the story of Telephus coming to Mysia and seeking purification for having killed his maternal uncles. Aeschylus wrote another play ""Telephus"" thought to be a sequel to ""Mysians"", in which Telephus comes to Argos seeking the healing of his wound, and perhaps also included Telephus' seizure of Orestes as hostage. Sophocles probably wrote at least four plays: ""Aleadae"" (""The Sons"
"up to receive him and his arms and his horses and chariot – has been variously assigned to ""Epigoni"", ""Eriphyle"", ""Alcmaeon"" or to ""Amphiaraus"". Epigoni (play) The Epigoni (, ""Epigonoi"", ""progeny"") is an ancient Greek tragedy written by the Greek playwright Sophocles in the 5th century BC and based on Greek mythology. According to myth, Polynices and six allies (the seven against Thebes) attacked Thebes because Polynices' brother, Eteocles, refused to give up the throne as promised. All but one (Adrastus) of the seven would-be conquerors were killed. Their children swore vengeance and attacked Thebes. This was called the war"
"The Burial at Thebes The Burial at Thebes: A version of Sophocles' Antigone is a play by Irish Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney, based on the fifth century BC tragedy ""Antigone"" by Sophocles. It is also an opera by Dominique Le Gendre Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus King of Thebes, Greece, learns that her two brothers Polyneices and Eteocles have killed each other fighting on different sides of a war. Creon, Antigone's uncle and newly appointed King of Thebes, buries Eteocles, who fought on the Theban side of the war, hailing him as a great hero. He refuses to bury Polyneices,"
"Performances were held in the great open-air theater of Dionysus in Athens. The poets competed for the prizes offered for the best plays. All fully surviving Greek tragedies are conventionally attributed to Aeschylus, Sophocles or Euripides. The authorship of ""Prometheus Bound"", which is traditionally attributed to Aeschylus, and ""Rhesus"", which is traditionally attributed to Euripides, are still questioned. There are seven surviving tragedies attributed to Aeschylus. Three of these plays, ""Agamemnon"", ""The Libation-Bearers"", and ""The Eumenides"", form a trilogy known as ""The Oresteia"". One of these plays, ""Prometheus Bound"", however, may actually be the work of Aeschylus's son Euphorion. Seven"
"fully cemented when he chooses a hidden part of the sacred grove as his final resting place, which even his daughters can't know. Chrysanthos Mentis Bostantzoglou makes a parody of this tragedy in his comedy ""Medea"" (1993). Oedipus at Colonus Oedipus at Colonus (also Oedipus Coloneus, , ""Oidipous epi Kolōnōi"") is one of the three Theban plays of the Athenian tragedian Sophocles. It was written shortly before Sophocles' death in 406 BC and produced by his grandson (also called Sophocles) at the Festival of Dionysus in 401 BC. In the timeline of the plays, the events of ""Oedipus at Colonus"""
"Epigoni (play) The Epigoni (, ""Epigonoi"", ""progeny"") is an ancient Greek tragedy written by the Greek playwright Sophocles in the 5th century BC and based on Greek mythology. According to myth, Polynices and six allies (the seven against Thebes) attacked Thebes because Polynices' brother, Eteocles, refused to give up the throne as promised. All but one (Adrastus) of the seven would-be conquerors were killed. Their children swore vengeance and attacked Thebes. This was called the war of the Epigonoi (""the offspring, the next generation""); the story had been told, before Sophocles, in the lost epic ""Epigonoi"". These Epigonoi defeated and"
"Seneca's works, the true author remains unknown. All Roman comedies that have survived can be categorized as ""fabula palliata"" (comedies based on Greek subjects) and were written by two dramatists: Titus Maccius Plautus (Plautus) and Publius Terentius Afer (Terence). No ""fabula togata"" (Roman comedy in a Roman setting) has survived. In adapting Greek plays to be performed for Roman audiences, the Roman comic dramatists made several changes to the structure of the productions. Most notable is the removal of the previously prominent role of the chorus as a means of separating the action into distinct episodes. Additionally, musical accompaniment was"
"Theban soothsayer Teiresias, the author inverted the myth to produce a provocative interpretation with feminist and pacifist elements. He tells the story of Thérèse, who changes her sex to obtain power among men, with the aim of changing customs, subverting the past, and establishing equality between the sexes. The Breasts of Tiresias The Breasts of Tiresias () is a surrealist play by Guillaume Apollinaire. Written in 1903, the play received its first production in a revised version in 1917. In his preface to the play, the poet invented the word ""surrealism"" to describe his new style of drama. The play"
"cast!"", or ""Let the game be ventured!"". This matches Plutarch's third-person perfect imperative (""""). The standard edition of the least-well-preserved plays of Menander is Kassel-Austin, ""Poetarum Comicorum Graecorum vol. VI.2"". For the better-preserved plays, the standard edition is now Arnott's 3-volume Loeb. A complete text of these plays for the Oxford Classical Texts series was left unfinished by Colin Austin at the time of his death; the OCT edition of Harry Sandbach, published in 1972 and updated in 1990, remains in print. Menander Menander (; ""Menandros""; c. 342/41 – c. 290 BC) was a Greek dramatist and the best-known representative"