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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Poems List

Who cannot open an honest mind / No friend will he be of mine.

There is no sorrow above / The loss of a native land.

Of mortals there is no one who is happy. / If wealth flows in upon one, one may be perhaps / Luckier than one’s neighbor, but still not happy.

Greatness brings no profit to people. / God indeed, when in anger, brings / greater ruin to great men’s houses.

Only one in command: that’s the way in the home / And the way in the state when it must find / Measures best for mankind.

Out of some little thing, too free a tongue / Can make an outrageous wrangle.

Good and bad may not be dissevered; / There is, as there should be, a commingling.

We look for good on earth and cannot recognize it / when met.

If god is truly god, he is perfect, / lacking nothing.

The way of God is complex, he is hard / for us to predict. He moves the pieces and they come / somehow into a kind of order.

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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.