Secondary sourceDocument1920
Sophocles entry, The Encyclopedia Americana
1920
A 1920 encyclopedia article on Sophocles describing his upbringing, education, and historical context in Athens.
An encyclopedia entry placing Sophocles' life within the rise and decline of Athenian power.
About this source
What it is
This entry on Sophocles appeared in The Encyclopedia Americana, published in New York in 1920. It describes his family background, education, and the historical period of Athens during his lifetime.
Why it matters
The article connects Sophocles' life to the rise and decline of Athenian power, and notes his father Sophillus owned slaves, a detail that reveals the social and economic structure of the household Sophocles grew up in.
Look closer
- What does the mention of Sophillus owning slaves tell you about Athenian society at the time?
- Why does the article connect Sophocles' life story to the rise and fall of Athens as a city?
- What quote from Voltaire does the writer insert, and why might that be an odd choice for an ancient Greek biography?
This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Sophocles on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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