Sophocles (ca. 496–406/5 BCE ) was one of the three great fifth-century Athenian tragic dramatists, along with Aeschylus and Euripides , and a leading figure in Athenian public life. He wrote around 120 plays, seven of which survive. He competed in the City Dionysia for the first time in 468 BCE , defeating the old master Aeschylus. This was the first of his 18 victories, and he was never placed lower than second. He was thus by far the most successful fifth-century tragedian in his own lifetime. He also won a few other victories at the Lenaia. Three changes to the form of tragedy are attributed to him: (1) he increased the number of performers in the tragic chorus from twelve to fifteen ( Life of Sophocles 4), for reasons that remain unclear; (2) he introduced scene-painting (Arist. Poet . 1449 a 18–19); and (3) he added a third speaking actor (Arist. Poet . 1449 a 18–19), early enough in his career to influence Aeschylus in the Oresteia (458), allowing more complex dialogue and…