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.
|
Year BC | |||
|
c. 535–2 |
Thespis competes in first tragic competition | ||
|
490 |
Darius’ invasion of Greece | ||
|
480–79 |
Xerxes’ invasion | ||
|
472 |
Aeschylus’ Persians | ||
|
468 |
Sophocles’ first victory, on his first attempt | ||
|
467 |
Aesch. Laius, Oedipus, Seven against Thebes, Sphinx | ||
|
463? |
Aesch. Suppliants, Aigyptioi, Danaids, Amymone |
c. 462 |
Radical democracy established at Athens |
|
458 |
Aesch. Agamemnon, Libation-Bearers, Eumenides, Proteus | ||
|
456 |
Death of Aeschylus | ||
|
455 |
Euripides’ first competition; third prize | ||
|
438 |
Eur. Alcestis | ||
|
431 |
Eur. Medea |
431 |
War begins between Athens and Sparta |
|
c. 430? |
Eur. The Children of Heracles |
430 |
Great Plague of Athens |
|
428 |
Eur. Hippolytus (surviving version) |
429 |
Death of Pericles |
|
427 |
Aristophanes’ first play (now lost) | ||
|
425? |
Eur. Andromache |
425 |
Arist. Acharnians |
|
424 |
Arist. Knights | ||
|
pre-423? |
Eur. Hecabe | ||
|
423? |
Eur. Suppliant Women |
423 |
Arist. Clouds (original version) |
|
422 |
Arist. Wasps | ||
|
421 |
Arist. Peace; death of Cleon; peace of Nicias | ||
|
c. 417–415 |
Eur. Heracles, Electra |
416 |
Athenian massacre at Melos |
|
415 |
Eur. Trojan Women | ||
|
414 |
Arist. Birds | ||
|
413 |
Athenian expedition to Sicily ends in disaster | ||
|
pre-412? |
Eur. Ion, Iphigenia among the Taurians | ||
|
412 |
Eur. Helen | ||
|
412 or later? |
Eur. Cyclops (satyr-play) | ||
|
411 |
Arist. Lysistrata, Women at the Thesmophoria Oligarchic revolution at Athens | ||
|
c. 409? |
Eur. Phoenician Women | ||
|
409 |
Soph. Philoctetes | ||
|
408 |
Eur. Orestes | ||
|
406–405 |
Death of Euripides in Macedonia; death of Sophocles | ||
|
after 406 |
Eur. Iphigenia at Aulis, Bacchae (posthumously produced) | ||
|
405 |
Arist. Frogs | ||
|
404 |
End of war, with Athens defeated | ||
|
401 |
Soph. Oedipus at Colonus (posthumously produced) | ||
|
399 |
Execution of Socrates |