Aeschylus
Aeschylus (c.
525/524 BC – c.
456 BC) was an ancient Greek tragedian often called the father of tragedy.
Academic understanding of the genre begins with his work.
According to Aristotle, he expanded the number of characters in theatre, allowing conflict among them rather than only with the chorus.
Only seven of his estimated seventy to ninety plays survive.
He likely pioneered presenting plays as trilogies; his Oresteia is the only complete ancient example.
His work The Persians uniquely addresses contemporary events—the Persian invasion.
Remarkably, his epitaph commemorates his military participation at Marathon while omitting his theatrical achievements entirely.
