Euripides

Extract

Athenian tragic playwright.Euripides was born probably in the 480s. He first took part in the dramatic competitions of the City *Dionysia at Athens in 455 bce, the year after the death of *Aeschylus (Life 32: he came third; the plays included Daughters of Pelias, his first treatment of the story of *Medea); he died in 407–6, leaving, like *Sophocles (1) later in the same year, plays still unperformed (Iphigeneia at Aulis, Alcmaeon in Corinth, Bacchae: schol. Ar. Frogs67), with which he won a last, posthumous victory (Suda, entry under the name). His first victory came only in 441 (Marm. Par.60; plays unknown). He won again in 428 (hyp. Hippolytus), but in his lifetime won only four victories at the Dionysia (Suda): he was thus far less successful in the competition than Aeschylus (thirteen victories) or Sophocles (eighteen victories). In .