Aeschylus is considered by some as the greatest writer ever to walk the face of earth. He was born to a noble family in Elefsinia, a few miles from Athens. The greatest festival in his hometown was the Elefsinia Mysteria, a dramatic imitation of nature's awakening in spring. Aeschylus is the founder of the classic Ancient Greek drama and was the first to clad his actors in impressive costumes on stage. His heroes were greater than life, always decent, even in their most dramatic moments. In his plays he was questioning everything, including the gods. People would walk for days to see his new play. He was leading an unhappy life, however, constantly seeking answers to the mysteries of life and death. He spent his last few years in the western Greek colonies of Sicily.

Aeschylus' Oresteia (Tony Harrison Adaptation), the National Theatre

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Aeschylus

Writer