Greek tragedy was a popular and influential form of drama performed in theatres across ancient Greece from the late 6th century BCE. The most famous playwrights of the genre were Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides and many of their works were still performed centuries after their initial premiere. Greek tragedy led to Greek comedy and, together, these genres formed the foundation upon which all modern theatre is based.
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Definition
Timeline
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c. 525 BCE - c. 456 BCELife of Greek tragedy poet Aeschylus.
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c. 496 BCE - c. 406 BCELife of Greek tragedy poet Sophocles.
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c. 493 BCEPhrynichos' tragedy 'The Fall of Miletos' is first performed.
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c. 484 BCE - 407 BCELife of Greek tragedy poet Euripides.
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477 BCEPhrynichos' tragedy 'Phoencian Women' is first performed.
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472 BCEAeschylus' tragedy 'Persians' is first performed.
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468 BCESophocles wins his first tragedy competition (title unknown).
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467 BCEAeschylus' tragedy 'Seven Against Thebes' is first performed.
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c. 463 BCEAeschylus' tragedy 'The Suppliants' is first performed.
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458 BCEAeschylus' tragedy trilogy Orestia: 'Agamemnon', Libation Bearers or 'Choephori', and 'The Eumenides' is first performed.
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c. 457 BCEAeschylus' tragedy 'Prometheus Bound' is first performed.
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c. 442 BCESophocles' tragedy 'Antigone' is first performed.
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438 BCEEuripides' tragedy 'Alcestis' is first performed.
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431 BCEEuripides' tragedy 'Medeia' is first performed.
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c. 430 BCEEuripides' tragedy 'Heraclidae' is first performed.
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429 BCE - 420 BCESophocles' tragedy 'Oedipus the King' is first performed.
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428 BCEEuripides' tragedy 'Hippolytus' is first performed.
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c. 425 BCEEuripides' tragedy 'Andromache' is first performed.
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c. 423 BCEEuripides' tragedy 'Hecuba' is first performed.
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c. 423 BCEEuripides' tragedy 'Suppliants' is first performed.
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c. 417 BCEEuripides' tragedy 'Hercules' is first performed.
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c. 416 BCEEuripides' tragedy 'Electra' is first performed.
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415 BCEEuripides' tragedy 'Trojan Women' is first performed.
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412 BCEEuripides' tragedy 'Helen' is first performed.
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c. 412 BCEEuripides' tragedy 'Iphigenia among the Taurians' is first performed.
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c. 410 BCEEuripides' tragedy 'Ion' is first performed.
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409 BCESophocles' tragedy 'Philoctetes' is first performed.
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409 BCEEuripides' tragedy 'Phoenissae' is first performed.
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c. 408 BCEEuripides' tragedy 'Orestes' is first performed.
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408 BCE - 406 BCEEuripides' tragedies 'Bacchae', 'Iphigenia at Aulis' are first performed.
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401 BCESophocles' tragedy 'Oedipus at Colonus' is first performed.
