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 /

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

The “Embarkation,” for instance, begins with a jubilant seven-member South African women’s chorus singing in Zulu lines from Aeschylus, Brecht and many others.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 8, 2025

Similar numbers apply to the works of Aeschylus and Euripides.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan