greek winter ancient greek plays survived plays written later earlier contemporary wrote plays course life seven survived complete form years celebrated playwright dramatic competitions city state athens took place religious festivals competed competitions won judged lower second place won competitions defeated won competitions famous feature generally known plays play actually different members lost influenced development drama importantly adding actor reducing importance chorus presentation plot developed characters greater extent earlier life son wealthy member rural small community setting plays probably born born years exact year unclear likely born wealthy family father armour manufacturer highly educated artistic triumph took prize theatre competition reigning master drama according victory came unusual circumstances instead following usual custom choosing judges lot asked present decide victor contest contends following loss soon left sicily says production thought production probably probably plays presented festival chosen lead choral chant god celebrating greek victory battle early career politician patrons ill borne rival served helping manage finances city political according elected generals executive officials athens junior colleague served campaign supposed elected position result production welcomed set altar image house deity introduced athens given posthumous epithet receiver elected commissioners responded catastrophic destruction expeditionary force sicily war died age ninety ninety winter having seen lifetime greek triumph war famous men classical antiquity death inspired number stories famous suggestion died strain trying long sentence breath account suggests eating festival athens holds died happiness winning final victory city months later comic poet play titled wrote eulogy blessed long life man happy talented writer good ended life suffering according accounts sons tried declared incompetent near end life said refuted charge court reading sons grandson called ancient sources mention homosexuality reported loved boys like loved women poet relates involving serving boy tricked works legacy earliest innovations addition actor reduced role chorus created greater opportunity character development conflict characters dominated early career followed suit adopted character work end life aristotle credits introduction scenery painting death old master pre eminent playwright athens emerged victorious dramatic competitions festivals addition innovations dramatic structure work known deeper development characters earlier reputation foreign rulers invited attend courts unlike died sicily spent time accepted aristotle king example highest achievement tragedy suggests high esteem work held later greeks seven surviving plays dated staged death grandson shows stylistic similarities plays suggests probably written career generally thought early works based stylistic elements king coming middle period plays early beginnings logic long tradition greek tragedy plays plays consist plays king called latin title plays concern fate reign published single cover wrote plays separate festival competitions years apart plays true trilogy plays presented continuous narrative intentional series contain inconsistencies wrote plays having fragments survived subjects plays relates tale mythological killed father married mother knowledge parents family fated doomed generations king protagonist planned parents fulfilling prophecy truth servant entrusted passes infant series childless couple adopt knowing history eventually learns prophecy kill father marry mother attempts flee fate knows parents point know adopted meets man crossroads accompanied servants man fought killed man man father apart gods knew time ruler solving process marries widowed queen mother stage set horror truth comes following true confusing prophecy commits suicide leaves end play order restored restoration seen brother king going exile asks care children children bear weight shame humiliation father actions banished daughter arrive town encounter king athens dies strife begins sons protagonist daughter faced choice allowing brother body remain outside city walls exposed wild animals bury face death king land forbidden burial traitor city decides bury body face consequences actions sentences death eventually convinced free punishment decision comes late commits suicide suicide suicide close king son wife commits suicide losing surviving son composition inconsistencies plays written thirty years career composed chronological order instead written order king composed trilogy group plays performed remaining parts different groups plays result inconsistencies notably undisputed king end king consultation apollo single makes decision expel instructed look daughters end king contrast plays struggle sons regard succession attempts work inconsistencies coherent explains light family lineage brothers willing throne eventually decided charge monarchy brother right succeed addition clearly powerful position consent father going exile charges plays addition plays surviving plays women won prize competed focuses proud hero war driven eventually suicide upset armor presented instead despite persuades kings grant proper burial named women chorus accidentally killing completed famous tricked thinking love charm applies poison article clothing poisoned causes die death learning truth commits suicide corresponds roughly plot details avenge father murder story archer abandoned rest greek fleet way learning win war bow greeks send retrieve greeks earlier refuses rejoin army appearance persuades plays list titles plays associated known presented little known precise dating known written known performed posthumously initiation grandson convention writing plays greek festivals submit play unknown dating vast majority play titles largely unknown plays grouped known plays referred modern era plays performed lifetime trilogy erroneously seen fragments discovered egypt half play making best preserved play survives entirety fragments discovered april oxford_university help infrared technology previously satellite imaging tragedy tells story second siege number works survived fragments including view work passage tract discusses growth writer likely source material book recorded conversations book likely candidate contained discourse development friend book known interpretations words suggest says imitated translation fit interpretation said making fun works argues following translation line practising painful invention stage changing kind expressive character best says completed stage work meaning went phase imitating style finished opinion mixed certainly respected imitate work early career reservations style imitation stage imitated marked language second stage entirely introduced new ways feeling audience mocked stage emptied commit suicide mentions stage distinct discussion development stage pays characters spoke way natural expressive individual character feelings
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