Suidas on the Change Ascribed to Sophocles in Regard to Trilogies

What it is

This is a short scholarly essay by the classicist Richard Claverhouse Jebb, published in 1907 in his collection Essays and Addresses. It closely examines a passage from the ancient reference work known as the Suda, which claims Sophocles made changes to how tragedies competed against each other, as well as changes to the number of actors and chorus members.

Why it matters

The essay is a good example of how classical scholars test ancient claims about figures like Sophocles by examining the exact wording of old sources. It shows how much of what we think we know about Sophocles's innovations in theatre comes from later writers summarizing earlier traditions, and how scholars like Jebb must carefully analyze the Greek language to understand what is actually being claimed.

Look closer

• Why does Jebb spend so much time discussing the grammar of a single ancient sentence?
• What does this essay suggest about the reliability of ancient sources written centuries after Sophocles lived?
• How might scholars decide between two possible readings of the same ancient text?