Aeschylus

American  

[es-kuh-luhs, ee-skuh-] / ˈɛs kə ləs, ˈi skə- /

noun

1. 525–456 b.c., Greek poet and dramatist.

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Aeschylus British  

/ ˈiːskələs, ˌiːskəˈliːən /

noun

1. ?525–?456 _bc , Greek dramatist, regarded as the father of Greek tragedy. Seven of his plays are extant, including Seven Against Thebes , The Persians , Prometheus Bound , and the trilogy of the Oresteia

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Aeschylus Cultural  

1. An ancient Greek poet, often considered the founder of tragedy. He was the first of the three great Greek authors of tragedies, preceding Sophocles and Euripides.

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Other Word Forms

• Aeschylean
  adjective

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Aeschylus

The matricide trial of Orestes, portrayed as a shining moment for Athens by Aeschylus in “The Oresteia,” becomes a nihilistic farce in the hands of Euripides.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 2026

Instead, it closely matches Phrygians, a lesser known tragedy written by the Athenian playwright Aeschylus.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 13, 2026

In that play, Aeschylus boasts that his earlier work, “The Persians,” helped strengthen the Athenians’ resolve against their enemies — highlighting the idea that art can serve to fortify communal will.

From Salon ● Apr. 13, 2025

It should have read "Shakespeare is by no means inferior to Aeschylus".

From BBC ● Jan. 23, 2025

The materials for this story are taken from two poets, the Greek Aeschylus and the Roman Ovid, separated from each other by four hundred and fifty years and still more by their gifts and temperaments.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton