I.

Introduction

Aeschylus (525?-456 bc), Greek dramatist, the earliest of the great tragic poets of Athens. As the predecessor of Sophocles and Euripides, he is called the father of Greek tragedy. Aeschylus is said to have written about 90 plays. We know the titles of about 80 of these plays, but only seven complete plays by Aeschylus have survived.

Aeschylus introduced a second actor to Greek tragedy, thereby creating the possibility of dramatic dialogue that advances the plot of a play. He also elaborated the staging of the drama, introducing costumes and scenery. Characteristic of his plays is the profundity of their themes and the grandeur of the poetry recited by the chorus. The three plays known collectively as the Oresteia, probably his greatest work, provide an insight into Aeschylus’s concepts of justice and mercy and his belief in a divine will, which can help humanity achieve wisdom through suffering.