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Primary sourceBookwritten shortly before 406 BCE; first performed 401 BCE

Oedipus at Colonus

Sophocles · written shortly before 406 BCE; first performed 401 BCE

Sophocles' final play, written near the end of his life and staged after his death, depicting the last days of the blind, exiled Oedipus.

Sophocles' last play, staged posthumously, reflecting his old age and connection to his home deme of Colonus.

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About this source

What it is

Oedipus at Colonus is a tragedy written by Sophocles shortly before his death in 406 BCE and first produced by his grandson at the Festival of Dionysus in 401 BCE. It is set at Colonus, near Athens and also Sophocles' own birthplace, and tells of the blind, exiled Oedipus arriving there with his daughters Antigone and Ismene, and being received by the Athenian king Theseus.

Why it matters

Though it depicts events chronologically earlier than Antigone, it was the last of Sophocles' three Theban plays to be written, reflecting his late-life thoughts on suffering, old age, and his home city. The choice of Colonus as the setting ties Sophocles' personal origins to the fate of his most famous character.

Look closer

  • Why might Sophocles have chosen his own birthplace as the setting for Oedipus's death?
  • What does Theseus's treatment of Oedipus suggest about Athenian ideals of hospitality and justice?
  • How does Oedipus defend himself against blame for his past crimes?

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The Frogs

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