ÆschylusAeschylus (c. 525-c. 456 BCE) was an ancient Greek tragedian and one of the earliest surviving dramatists in Western literature. Born near Athens, he lived during a period of enormous political, military, and cultural change, including the Persian Was and the rise of Athenian democracy. Ancient tradition credits him with helping transform tragedy from a primarily choral form into a more fully dramatic art by expanding the role of actors, conflict, dialogue, and staged action.Aeschylus is believed to have written dozens of plays, though only seven survive complete. These include The Persians, Seven Against Thebes, The Suppliants, Prometheus Bound traditionally attributed to him, and the three plays of the Oresteia: Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, and The Eumenides. His tragedies are known for their grandeur, dense imagery, religious seriousness, choral intensity, and concern with justice, pride, inherited guilt, divine power, and the movement from private revenge toward public order.The Oresteia, first performed in 458 BCE, is Aeschylus's greatest surviving achievement and the only complete trilogy from classical Greek theater. Through the story of Agamemnon, Clytemnestra, Orestes, and the Furies, it explores the long consequences of violence and the painful birth of lawful judgment. Aeschylus remains central to the study of drama, mythology, Greek literature, political thought, and the moral imagination of the ancient world. Read More Read Less