Euphorion (playwright) facts for kids
Euphorion (pronounced Yoo-FOR-ee-on) was the son of a famous Greek playwright named Aeschylus. Like his father, Euphorion also wrote serious plays called tragedies.
In 431 BCE, Euphorion won first place at a big play competition called the Dionysia. This was a huge deal because he beat two other very famous playwrights: Sophocles, who came in second, and Euripides, who placed third. Euripides' plays at this competition included the well-known Medea.
A Family of Playwrights
Euphorion grew up in a family deeply involved with theater. His father, Aeschylus, is known as one of the earliest and most important Greek tragedians. Tragedies were serious plays that often explored big ideas about fate, gods, and human suffering. Growing up around such a talented father likely inspired Euphorion to become a playwright himself.
The Mystery of Prometheus Bound
For a long time, people thought that the famous play Prometheus Bound was written by Euphorion's father, Aeschylus. However, some historians now believe that Euphorion might have written it instead.
There are a few reasons for this idea:
- The play shows the god Zeus in a way that is not as respectful as in other plays written by Aeschylus.
- Other plays by the funny playwright Aristophanes seem to mention Prometheus Bound. These mentions suggest the play was written around 415 BCE, which is long after Aeschylus had died.
If Euphorion did write Prometheus Bound, it means we have surviving plays from five ancient Greek tragedians. These would be Aeschylus, Euphorion, Sophocles, Euripides, and the unknown writer of the play Rhesus.
See also
- In Spanish: Euforión (poeta) para niños
