Sophocles was born around 496 B.C. in Colonus, a mile northwest of Athens. His father was Sophillus, a wealthy armorer who employed many slave-craftsmen. Sophillus carefully kept up a middle-of-the-road political stance to maintain his military contracts. Sophocles grew up as a model of Athenian beauty and grace. He studied music with Lamprus, a famous music teacher of the old school who scorned contemporary music in favor of the dignity of the classical era. After the Battle of Salamis, 16-year-old Sophocles lead a chorus of young male singers in a traditional hymn of victory. He gained a following for his theater appearances, especially for his portrayal of the lyric bard Thamyris and as Nausicaa, the ball-tossing princess and savior of Odysseus.
Sophocles began writing poems and hymns at an early age. He produced his first tragedy in 468 B.C. His voice soon grew weak and he stopped acting in his own plays. He defeated Aeschylus, the reigning champion of tragedians, at the age of 28. Thereafter, he seldom fell below second place in any competition and he received more prizes than Aeschylus or Euripides. He is thought to have written 123 plays plus prose works, poems, and hymns. His works include Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone, Ajax, Electra, The Trachiniae, and Philoctetes.
Sophocles had four legitimate sons, Leosthenes, Stephanos, Meneclides, and Iophon, by his Athenian wife, Nicostrata. Iophon also became a tragedian and competed against his father in tragic poetry. He also had an illegitimate son, Ariston. Ariston's son, Sophocles the Younger, was a well-known poet and tragedian who won seven victories. Sophocles the Elder favored Sophocles the Younger over his other descendants, sparking a court battle between Sophocles the Elder and Iophon.
Sophocles' work left a lasting impression on Greek theater. Sophocles added a third actor to his plays, allowing for more flexibility in his plays. He also added painted scenery to his plays and enlarged the chorus from 12 to 15. Before Sophocles, the tetralogies focused on a single theme. Sophocles' tetralogies dealt with separate themes.
Source:
Mary Ellen Snodgrass, Cliffs Notes on Greek Classics, New York: Wiley Publishing Inc., 1998.
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