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

It depicts Dionysus journeying to Hades to retrieve a poet who can help Athens in crisis, culminating in a contest between Aeschylus and Euripides.

From Salon ● Apr. 13, 2025

Comedy and tragedy customarily share space in “Star Trek” — “Section 31” begins with a quote from Aeschylus and includes an extended discussion over whether the gizmo they’re after is called “Godsend” or “God’s End.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 24, 2025

Ptolemy III Euergetes wished to borrow from Athens the original manuscripts or official state copies of the great ancient tragedies of Sophocles, Aeschylus and Euripides.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan