Primary sourceBookc. 450-425 BCE
Trachiniae (Women of Trachis)
Sophocles · c. 450-425 BCE
The original Greek text of Sophocles' tragedy about Deianira and Heracles, one of his surviving plays.
This is Sophocles' own tragedy, preserved in the original Greek he wrote it in.
About this source
What it is
This is the full ancient Greek text of Trachiniae (Women of Trachis), a tragedy written by Sophocles and first performed between 450 and 425 BCE. The text is hosted on Wikisource in its original language.
Why it matters
The play tells the story of Deianira, wife of Heracles, and is one of only seven of Sophocles' tragedies that survive out of over a hundred he is said to have written. Studying the original Greek lets readers see Sophocles' own words, not a later rewording.
Look closer
- Why do you think so few of Sophocles' plays survived compared to how many he wrote?
- What does the opening speech by Deianira tell us about her situation before the action begins?
- Why might reading a play in its original language matter to historians and students?
This book 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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