According to some ancient sources preserved through quotations, the Oedipus at Colonus was written in the last years of Sophocles’ life, when the poet was ninety. It was probably produced in 401 BCE after the poet’s death (404 BCE) by his grandson who had been named after him. The drama is a reflection on the ending of Oedipus, who dies at the end of the tragedy, on the ending of Athens, which lost its status in 404 BCE, when it surrendered to Sparta, and on the end of the Sophocles’ own life. It looks again at the character of Oedipus, whom Sophocles depicted in his earlier plays Antigone (perhaps produced in 442 BCE) and Oedipus Tyrannus (maybe staged in 430 BCE). The drama also looks ahead …
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Citation: Francisetti Brolin, Sonia. "Oedipus Coloneus". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 August 2017 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=3152, accessed 05 May 2024.]
