Summary, aeschylus, & facts

Aeschylus famous works

Aeschylus Aiskhylos is often recognized as the father of tragedy , and is the first of the three early Greek tragedians whose plays survive extant the other two being Sophocles and Euripides. In fact, by expanding the number of characters in plays to allow for conflict among them previously, only a single character interacted with the Chorus he was arguably the founder of all serious Greek drama although some credit that honour to Phrynichus or the even earlier Thespis.

Only seven of over seventy plays written by Aeschylus have survived into modern times, the best known being "The Oresteia" trilogy. There are few reliable sources for the life of Aeschylus. He was said to have been born in about or BCE in Eleusis , a small town just northwest of Athens. As a youth, he worked at a vineyard until, according to tradition, the god Dionysus visited him in his sleep and commanded him to turn his attention to the nascent art of tragedy.

His first play was performed when he was only 26 years old in BCE , and fifteen years later he won his first prize at Athens' annual Dionysia playwriting competition. Aeschylus and his brother Cynegeirus fought to defend Athens against Darius's invading Persian army at the Battle of Marathon in BCE and, although the Greeks won a famous victory against apparently overwhelming odds, Cynegeirus died in the battle, which had a profound effect on Aeschylus.

He continued to write plays , although he was called into military service against the Persians again in BCE, this time against Xerxes ' invading forces at the Battle of Salamis. This naval battle holds a prominent place in "The Persians" , his oldest surviving play, which was performed in BCE and won first prize at the Dionysia. In fact, by BCE, after the death of his chief rival Phrynichus, Aeschylus was winning first prize in nearly every competition at the Dionysia.

He was an adherent of the Eleusinian Mysteries , a mystical, secretive cult dedicated to the Earth-mother goddess Demeter , which was based in his hometown of Eleusis.