Sophocles was an ancient Greek tragedian, born around 497/496 BCE in Colonus, a rural deme of Attica. He was the son of Sophillus, a wealthy armor manufacturer. His first artistic success occurred in 468 BCE when he won first prize at the Dionysia festival, defeating the established playwright Aeschylus. Sophocles wrote over 120 plays, of which only seven have survived in complete form: Ajax, Antigone, Women of Trachis, Oedipus Rex, Electra, Philoctetes, and Oedipus at Colonus. He was a dominant figure in Athenian drama for nearly 50 years, winning 24 out of 30 competitions and never placing lower than second. His most renowned works include the Theban plays, which consist of Oedipus Rex, Antigone, and Oedipus at Colonus, each written for different festivals and not as a cohesive trilogy.Sophocles contributed significantly to the evolution of drama by introducing a third actor, which diminished the chorus's role and allowed for more complex character development. He was also credited with innovations in stagecraft, including scenery painting. His career flourished after Aeschylus's death in 456 BCE, and he became the pre-eminent playwright in Athens. He was involved in civic duties, serving as a treasurer and a general, and participated in various political and cultural events, including leading a paean after the Greek victory at the Battle of Salamis in 480 BCE.Sophocles died in the winter of 406/405 BCE at the age of 90 or 91. His death was surrounded by various anecdotes, including claims that he died from the strain of reciting a line from Antigone or from choking on grapes. He was survived by sons who also pursued careers in playwriting. His works have had a lasting impact on literature and drama, with Aristotle citing Oedipus Rex as a prime example of tragic excellence.The Theban plays explore themes of fate and familial curses, centering on the tragic figure of Oedipus, who unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother. In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus's attempts to escape his fate lead to catastrophic revelations. Oedipus at Colonus depicts his final days in exile, while Antigone focuses on the moral conflict faced by Oedipus's daughter as she defies the king's orders to honor her brother with a proper burial. These plays, while thematically linked, were not intended as a single narrative and contain inconsistencies regarding character roles and plot details.In addition to the Theban plays, Sophocles's other surviving works include Ajax, which tells the story of the hero's tragic downfall, Women of Trachis, which depicts the fatal consequences of deception, Electra, which follows the revenge of Electra and Orestes for their father's murder, and Philoctetes, which recounts the tale of a hero abandoned by his comrades. Many of his other plays are known only by title or in fragments, reflecting the extensive but incomplete legacy of his contributions to Greek tragedy.