Sophocles Quick Facts

Sophocles

Second of the three greatest ancient Greek writers of tragedy.

Full Name: Sophocles
Birth: 496 B.C. ?
Death: 406 B.C. ?
Cause of death: ?
Place of Death: Athens
Place of Birth: Colonus Hippius (now part of Athens)
Buried at: Family tomb near Deceleia
Father: Sophillus
Mother: ?
Siblings: ?
Marriage: ?
Spouse: Nicostrata (First Wife), Theoris (Second Wife)
Number of Children: 2 legitimate sons: Iophon (by first marriage), Ariston (by second marriage) and 3 illegitimate sons
Education: ?
Known for: bringing change in the spirit and significance of tragic plays by cleverly portraying the nature of man, his problems, and his struggles as the foremost interest while keeping the traditional religion and morality as the central source of theme
Criticised for: not dealing with religious problems as Aeschylus had nor with intellectual ones as Euripides had done
Influences: Euripides, Aeschylus
Influenced: Heiner Müller, William E. Connolly, Grigol Robakidze, Dominik Smole, Malcolm Lowry

Quote:

“There are many wonderful things, but none is more wonderful than man.” Sophocles, Antigone

Major Themes:

Fate
The limits of free will
Divine laws
Pre-ordinance
Justice
Revenge
Pride
The threat of Hasty judgment
The threat of tyranny
False optimism
Ignorance
Madness
Human strife and struggle
Human sufferings

Notable Works:

Extant Plays

Oedipus Tyrannus (430 to 415 B.C.)
Oedipus at Colonus (produced posthumously in 401 B.C.)
Antigone (after 441 B.C.)
Electra (430 to 415 B.C.)
Trachiniae (after 441 B.C.)
Ajax (c. 451-444 B.C.)
Philoctetes (409 B.C.)

Fragmentary Plays

Aias Lokros (Ajax the Locrian)
Aias Mastigophoros (Ajax the Whip-Bearer)
Aigeus (Aegeus)
Aigisthos (Aegisthus)
Aikhmalôtides (The Captive Women)
Aithiopes (The Ethiopians), or Memnon
Akhaiôn Syllogos (The Gathering of the Achaeans)
Akhilleôs Erastai (Lovers of Achilles)
Akrisios
Aleadae (The Sons of Aleus)
Aletes
Alexandros (Alexander)
Alcmeôn
Amphiaraus
Amphitryôn
Amycos
Andromache
Andromeda
Antenoridai (Sons of Antenor)
Athamas (two versions produced)
Atreus, or Mykenaiai
Camicoi
Cassandra
Cedaliôn
Cerebros
Chryseis
Clytemnestra
Colchides
Côphoi (Mute Ones)
Creusa
Crisis (Judgement)
Daedalus
Danae
Dionysiacus
Dolopes
Epigoni
Eriphyle
Eris
Eumelus
Euryalus
Eurypylus
Eurysaces
Helenes Apaitesis (Helen's Demand)
Helenes Gamos (Helen's Marriage)
Herakles Epi Tainaro (Hercules At Taenarum)
Hermione
Hipponous
Hybris
Hydrophoroi (Water-Bearers)
Inachos
Iobates
Iokles
Iôn
Iphigenia
Ixiôn Lacaenae (Lacaenian Women)
Laocoôn
Larisaioi
Lemniai (Lemnian Women)
Manteis or Polyidus (The Prophets or Polyidus)
Meleagros
Minôs
Momus
Mousai (Muses)
Mysoi (Mysians)
Nauplios Katapleon (Nauplius' Arrival)
Nauplios Pyrkaeus (Nauplius' Fires)
Nausicaa, or Plyntriai
Niobe
Odysseus Acanthoplex (Odysseus Scourged with Thorns)
Odysseus Mainomenos (Odysseus Gone Mad)
Oeneus
Oenomaus
Palamedes
Pandora, or Sphyrokopoi (Hammer-Strikers)
Pelias
Peleus
Phaiakes
Phaedra
Philoctetes In Troy
Phineus (two versions)
Phoenix
Phrixus
Phryges (Phrygians)
Phthiôtides
Poimenes (The Shepherds)
Polyxene
Priam
Procris
Rhizotomoi (The Root-Cutters)
Salmoneus
Sinon
Sisyphus
Skyrioi (Scyrians)
Skythai (Scythians)
Syndeipnoi (The Diners, or, The Banqueters)
Tantalus
Telephus
Tereus
Teukros (Teucer)
Thamyras
Theseus
Thyestes
Troilus
Triptolemos
Tympanistai (Drummers)
Tyndareos
Tyro Keiromene (Tyro Shorn)
Tyro Anagnorizomene (Tyro Rediscovered).
Xoanephoroi (Image-Bearers)

Did you Know?

Despite being a commoner, his father Sophillus was a rich man; his wealth was derived from the ownership of slaves employed in various manufactures, especially armour

Sophocles was well educated in all of the arts prevailed in old Greek system, including poetry, dance, gymnastics, philosophy, music, mathematics, astronomy, law, athletics and military tactics

He was well versed in Homer and the Greek lyric poets

Sophocles was an active, engaging man throughout his whole life; he was known as the “Attic Bee” for his diligence

Besides Aeschylus and Euripides, Sophocles is that great Greek tragedian whose work has survived into modern times

Sophocles was the younger contemporary of Aeschylus and the older contemporary of Euripides

In 468 B.C. at the age of twenty-eight Sophocles defeated Aeschylus at the Dionysian dramatic festival; with this victory, Aeschylus left for Sicily and Sophocles’ dramatic career started and continued to secure a number of consecutive victories

During his career he never won less than second prize

In 441 B.C. Euripides defeated Sophocles at the Dionysian dramatic festival

He was the most-awarded writer in the dramatic competitions of ancient Athens; his total victories are greater than the combined wins of Aeschylus and Euripides

Now a days his reputation firmly rests upon Oedipus Tyrannus, the tragic story of the mythical figure Oedipus, whose name was adopted by Freud to explain his concept of Oedipus Complex

At the age of 16, due to his youth, good looks, and performing ability, he was picked to a paean (choral chant) about the victory of the Battle of Salamis

In total, Sophocles wrote 123 plays, of which only 7 complete tragedies survive these days; besides, fragments exist for 80 to 90 other pieces

Oedipus at Colonus, the second of his best pieces was produced posthumously

Sophocles was the only playwright of his time who did not perform in all of his plays, owing to his weak voice

Sophocles married twice. His first marriage was with a woman named Nicostrata, by whom he became the father of Iophon. Somewhat late in life he formed a connection with a certain Theoris, a woman of Sicyon, by whom he had a son called Ariston

It is assumed that Sophocles had three other illegitimate sons, though nothing is known about them

His two sons: Iophon and Ariston were also writers of tragedy

Towards the end of his life, Iophon sued against Sophocles to prove him mentally incompetent in order to get the administration of his property. To prove his sanity, Sophocles recited a portion of the then unpublished Oedipus Coloneus. He was off the charges since the jury could ascertain that no incompetent person could write such beautiful words

Sophocles had a strong appetite for carnal pleasure and it remained the same until he was very old

Akin to many Greek men of that time, Sophocles had a liking for handsome youths

Towards the end of his life, Sophocles fell in love with the courtesan named Archippe, whom he made heiress of his property but ultimately she lost it to Sophocles' relatives

When Archippe’s former lover learnt about her relationship with the old Sophocles, he wittily described it through the following lines:

“like a night-owl among the tombstones,
like a horned owl over corpses,
so my girl now sits with Sophocles.”

A series of myths exist about the manner of his death. According to some, he was choked by eating grapes sent him by the actor Callippides at the time of the Anthesteria. Some others said that he died while reading Antigone aloud by trying to deliver a long sentence without taking a breath. Again, few others ascribed his death to excessive joy at the success of his Antigone in competition

After his demise, he was buried in the family tomb on the way to Deceleia, about a mile from Athens, and over his tomb the figure of a siren was erected

He was not politically active or militarily inclined, but the Athenians elected him twice to high military office

Besides being a tragedian, Sophocles was also an actor, a military commander, a field general, a priest, a politician, and a treasurer

He was very religious-minded and he transformed his home in worship place for the healing god Asclepius, while a temple was being built

References

Gill, N.S. “Sophocles.” About.com. 2012. About.com. 25 July 2012

< http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/sophocles/p/Sophocles.htm>.

K., Danny. “Sophocles.” Enloehs. 2012. Enloehs. 25 July 2012

< http://enloehs.wcpss.net/projects/west42002/sophocles8/bio.html>.

“Sophocles.” Wikipedia. 2012. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 25 July 2012

< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophocles>.

“Sophocles.” Sophocles. 2012. Sophocles. 25 July 2012

< http://www.sophocles.net/listingview.php?listingID=21>.

“Sophocles.” Encyclopædia Britannica. 2012. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

25 July 2012 < http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/554733/Sophocles>.

“Sophocles.” Evi. 2012. Evi Technologies Ltd. 25 July 2012

< http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/sophocles/p/Sophocles.htm>.

“Sophocles.” Ancient Athens. 2010. Ancient Athens. 25 July 2012

< http://www.ancientathens.org/people/sophocles>.

“Sophocles.” Theatre Database. 2012. Ancient Athens. 25 July 2012

< http://www.theatredatabase.com/ancient/sophocles_001.html>.

“Sophocles.” Greek Literature. 2012. Angela DeHaven. 25 July 2012

< http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/>.

“Sophocles and Antigone.” 123HelpMe.com. 2000-2011. 123HelpMe.com.

25 July 2012 < http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=5730>.

“Sophocles Biography.” Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2012. Advameg, Inc.

25 July 2012 < http://www.notablebiographies.com/Sc-St/Sophocles.html>.

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July 30, 2012