To understand the history of Athens, Sophocles must be discovered. One of the three great Greek Tragedians whose work continues to be held in restored format today, Sophocles is known for various plays but not all of his writings were uncovered.
A tenth century encyclopedia recalls that Sophocles wrote over one hundred and twenty-three plays but currently there are only seven known Sophocles plays in their entire and original splendor. It was Sophocles that was remembered for his plays that captured the phenomena of Ancient Athens which included religious festivals where the playwrights of the time could show their creative skills.
One of his most famous works of creativity was perhaps the plays dubbed as The Oedipus Cycle. Sophocles was well known for his attention to detail in character development which would prove to be one of his strong points for winning the favor of those who wanted to see his work performed.
The exact birth date of Sophocles isn’t verifiable. It is assumed that he was born somewhere around 496 B.C., and before the Battle of Marathon in 490 B.C., in a small community. It is estimated that Sophocles began his pursue of the arts around 468 B.C. and that his first works were performed around 470 B.C.
Sophocles was as much a politician as he was a man of theatrical and literary substance. When he was around the age of fifty-six, Sophocles became a general in the war against Samos. Later in life, Sophocles became a priest. He died at the age of ninety or so it is believed, leaving behind a legacy that far extended any realm of the creative imagination that he produced in his lifetime.
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