As explained in the Introduction, not all of the plays of Euripides (and fewer still of Sophocles) can be firmly dated. This table shows all of the extant Greek tragedies for which we have fairly certain dates, and also lists most of Aristophanes’ surviving comedies and some major historical events to put them in context. Conjectural dates are given with question-marks, and are usually fixed by analysis of metrical technique: they may well be three or four years out either way.
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Year BC |
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c. 535–2 Thespis competes in first tragic competition |
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490 Darius’ invasion of Greece |
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480–79 Xerxes’ invasion |
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472 Aeschylus Persians |
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468 Sophocles’ first victory, on his first attempt |
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467 Aesch. Laius, Oedipus, Seven against Thebes, Sphinx |
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463? Aesch. Suppliants, Aigyptioi, Danaids, Amymone |
c. 462 Radical democracy established at Athens |
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458 Aesch. Agamemnon, Libation-Bearers, Eumenides, Proteus |
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456 Death of Aeschylus |
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455 Euripides’ first competition; third prize |
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438 Eur. Alcestis |
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431 Eur. Medea |
431 War begins between Athens and Sparta |
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c. 430? Eur. The Children of Heracles |
430 Great plague at Athens |
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429 Death of Pericles |
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428 Eur. Hippolytus (surviving version) |
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427 Aristophanes’ first play (now lost) |
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425? Eur. Andromache |
425 Arist. Acharnians |
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424 Arist. Knights |
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pre-423? Eur. Hecabe |
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423? Eur. Suppliant Women |
423 Arist. Clouds (original version) |
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422 Arist. Wasps |
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421 Arist. Peace Death of Cleon; peace of Nicias |
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c. 417 Eur. Heracles, Electra |
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416 Athenian massacre on Melos |
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415 Eur. Trojan trilogy, including Trojan Women |
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414 Arist. Birds |
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413 Athenian expedition to Sicily ends in disaster |
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pre-412? Eur. Ion, Iphigenia among the Taurians |
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412 Eur. Helen |
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412? Eur. Cyclops (satyr-play) |
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411 Arist. Lysistrata, Women at the Thesmophoria Oligarchic revolution in Athens |
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c. 409? Eur. Phoenician Women |
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409 Soph. Philoctetes |
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408 Eur. Orestes |
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406–5 Death of Euripides in Macedonia; death of Sophocles |
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after 406 Eur. Iphigenia at Aulis, Bacchae (posthumously produced) |
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405 Arist. Frogs |
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404 End of war, with Athens defeated |
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401 Soph. Oedipus at Colonus (posthumously produced) |
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399 Execution of Socrates |