Sophocles (; ,
Sophokles, ; 497/6 – winter 406/5 BC) is one of three
ancient Greek tragedians whose plays have survived. His first plays were written later than those of
Aeschylus, and earlier than or contemporary with those of
Euripides. Sophocles wrote 120 plays during the course of his life, but only seven have survived in a complete form:
Ajax,
Antigone,
The Women of Trachis,
Oedipus the King,
Electra,
Philoctetes and
Oedipus at Colonus. For almost 50 years, Sophocles was the most-
fêted playwright in the dramatic competitions of the
city-state of
Athens that took place during the religious festivals of the
Lenaea and the
Dionysia. He competed in 30 competitions, won 18, and was never judged lower than second place. Aeschylus won 14 competitions, and was sometimes defeated by Sophocles, while Euripides won 5 competitions.