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Sophocles was born in Kolonus, near Athens. His father, Sophillus, was a wealthy arms manufacturer, therefore, Sophocles grew up rich and received a good education. This would later set him off to play an important role in Athenian society.
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Sophocles was one of Athens Three Great Greek Tragedians. Sophocles wrote 120 plays during his lifetime, with only seven surviving today(Ajax, Antigone, Women of Trachis, Oedipus Rex, Electra, Philoctetes, and Oedipus at Colonus. He competed in 120 competitions and won 24. Sophocles would heavily influence the development of drama later by, adding a third character, and developing his characters to a greater extent. Sophocles passed away in 406 BCE and died of unknown causes, but dying happily.
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Sophocles's goal in life was to improve Tragedy art. Greek drama wasn't doing well and needed a change.
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When Sophocles was 16, he was chosen to lead the Paean(Choral Chant), to celebrate the victory over the Persians at the Battle of Salamis. This information suggests he had outstanding talents and actively participated in his community.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sophocles -
As a child, Sophocles was the chief dancer in festivities to celebrate the victories over the Persians. As some time went by he would act in some plays but he settled with the role of a writer due to the weak projection of his voice while performing.
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Sophocles won his first competition in the Dionysus Dramatic Festival, with his play "Triptolemus" he took first prize and Aeschylus took second. -
Aeschylus dies, and Sophocles becomes the pre-eminent playwright. Sophocles believed Aeschylus's work was to be respected, so Sophocles began imitating his work as a tribute. -
No exact dates are given on when he married his first and second wives, Nicostrata and Theoris. Sophocles had 2 kids with Nicostrata, Iophon and Sophocles. Sophocles also had a kid with Theoris named Ariston. -
Sophocles writes "Women of Trachis", this play is generally considered less developed than Sophocles's other works and is one of the plays that would later survive. This play is about the ill-fated attempt of Deianeira to win back her husband Heracles after he has fallen in love with another woman.
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Sophocles became an Imperial Treasurer for Athens, managing the city's finances during the political ascendency of Pericles, he also helped control the funds for the Delian confederacy for the Athenian Empire.
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Sophocles writes the play "Ajax". This play is about Ajax who is a great hero, who fights many battles and wins, Ajax later becomes insane and commits suicide by falling onto his sword because he couldn't obtain Achilles's armor. -
Sophocles writes the play "Antigone". Antigone is a play about the aftermath of a civil war in which the two sons of Oedipus kill each other. Antigone is important now as it came to symbolize democracy and resonated with Greece's war of independence against the Ottoman Empire, as well as America's struggle against communist Soviet Russia during the Cold War. -
Sophocles writes the play "Electra". The play is about Electra, a girl who seeks revenge for her fathers murder. -
Sophocles becomes a Military Commander for Athens. Although Sophocles was known for his artistic works, he was very involved in politics. For instance, he served as a general in the siege of an island named Samos right next to Pericles.
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The Peloponnesian War was an ancient Greek war fought between the Delian League, led by Athens, and the Peloponnesian League, led by Sparta. People say Sophocles's work was affected by this due to him being heavily in politics. -
Sophocles writes the play "Oedipus Rex". This play would later be known as Sophocles's masterpiece in his lifetime. The tragedy is about Oedipus who is fated to kill the king and marry his mother, he goes on in life and realizes he did what he fated to do. -
Sophocles served as one of the commissioners crafting a response to the catastrophic destruction of the Athenian expeditionary force during the Peloponnesian war. -
In his eighties, he was named member of a special group called magistrates. He was assigned to organizing both financial and domestic recovery after the disastrous Greek defeat at Syracuse.
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Philoctetes was a play by Sophocles that depicted events from the Trojan War but also incorporated mythological ideals and creatures. Philoctetes was a mythological creature who bit a soldier on his way to the Trojan War. -
Sophocles dies at the age of 90. Evidence shows he died laughing joyfully.
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Oedipus at Colonus was produced after Sophocles's death. And it is the longest of his dramas. It also brings to a conclusion his concern with the Oedipus theme. Sophocles presents the death of Oedipus. This play was produced 5 years after the playwright’s death. -
To this day, Sophocles's plays still are enjoyed and performed all around the world. Sophocles also inspired many people and changed tragedy as we know it.
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