Eurípides

Birth: 480ac , Atenas

Death: 406ac , Macedónia Antiga

Euripides (c. 480 – 406 BCE) was one of the three great tragedians of Ancient Greece, along with Aeschylus and Sophocles. He wrote around 92 plays, of which only 18 have survived in their entirety. His tragedies are known for their psychological realism, the introduction of more complex characters, and the exploration of social and philosophical themes, often questioning the conventions and morality of his time. Euripides is frequently praised for his theatrical innovation, for the introduction of explanatory prologues, and for the use of the chorus in more varied ways. His works continue to be studied and performed to this day, influencing Western theater.

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Those self-important fathers of their country / Think they’re above the people. Why they’re nothing! / The citizen is infinitely wiser.

All is change; all yields its place and goes.

Enjoy yourself, drink, call the life you live today / your own, but only that, the rest belongs to chance.

Those whose cause is just will never lack / good arguments.

It makes small difference to the dead, if they / are buried in the tokens of luxury. All this / is an empty glorification left for those who live.

There is the sky, which is all men’s together, there / is the world to live in, fill with houses of our own / nor hold another’s, nor tear it from his hands by force.

They say the gods themselves / Are moved by gifts, and gold does more with men than words.

Oh, what a vileness human beauty is, / corroding, corrupting everything it touches!

A sharp-tempered woman, or, for that matter, a man, / Is easier to deal with than the clever type / Who holds her tongue.

Disaster appears, to crush / one man now, but afterward another.

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Euripides was born on the island of Salamis in Ancient Greece. His life coincided with a period of great cultural and political effervescence in Classical Athens, although he himself was not Athenian by birth. He dedicated himself to writing tragedies, distinguishing himself from his predecessors by his more skeptical and humanist approach to myths. His characters are often portrayed with psychological depth, questioning the gods, justice, and human nature. Plays such as "Medea", "The Bacchae", "The Trojan Women", and "The Cyclops" (the only complete satyr play to have survived from Ancient Greece) exemplify his style and concerns. "Medea", in particular, is famous for its raw depiction of revenge and passion. Euripides is considered a precursor to modern drama for his psychological analysis and his critical approach to traditional narratives. He died in Pella, Macedonia.