Big Books of 2026
Sophocles

Sophocles’s Followers (2,675)

member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo

Sophocles


Born
Colonus, Attica, Greece
Genre
Theatre, Poetry


Sophocles (497/496 BC-406/405 BC), (Greek: Σοφοκλής ; German: Sophokles , Russian: Софокл , French: Sophocle ) was an ancient Greek tragedian, known as one of three from whom at least one play has survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or contemporary with, those of Aeschylus; and earlier than, or contemporary with, those of Euripides. Sophocles wrote over 120 plays, but only seven have survived in a complete form: Ajax, Antigone, Women of Trachis, Oedipus Rex, Electra, Philoctetes, and Oedipus at Colonus. For almost fifty years, Sophocles was the most celebrated playwright in the dramatic competitions of the city-state of Athens which took place during the religious festivals of the Lenaea and the Dionysia ...more

Combine Editions

Average rating: 3.79 · 586,214 ratings · 24,996 reviews · 2,613 distinct works • Similar authors
Oedipus Rex (The Theban Pl...
3.73 avg rating — 236,372 ratings — published -429 — 47 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Antigone (The Theban Plays,...
3.68 avg rating — 175,586 ratings — published -441 — 24 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
The Oedipus Cycle: Oedipus ...
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 70,597 ratings — published -450 — 626 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Antigone - Oedipus the King...
by
3.95 avg rating — 16,563 ratings — published -429 — 54 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Oedipus at Colonus (The The...
3.75 avg rating — 16,381 ratings — published -401 — 19 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Electra
3.82 avg rating — 14,192 ratings — published -410 — 8 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Sophocles II: Ajax, Women o...
by
4.12 avg rating — 6,984 ratings — published -450 — 99 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Ajax
3.92 avg rating — 7,011 ratings — published -440 — 15 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Sophocles: The Complete Plays
4.26 avg rating — 5,325 ratings — published -401 — 660 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Philoctetes
3.90 avg rating — 5,151 ratings — published -409 — 7 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
More books by Sophocles…

Series by Sophocles

Oedipus Rex Oedipus at Colonus Antigone
(3 books)
by
3.75 avg rating — 498,928 ratings

Quotes by Sophocles  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“One word
Frees us of all the weight and pain of life:
That word is love.”
― Sophocles
tags: love, pain
2999 likes
Like

“All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong, and repairs the evil. The only crime is pride.”
― Sophocles, Antigone
tags: change, character, course, crime, failure, mistakes, pride, yield
1237 likes
Like

“Fortune is not on the side of the faint-hearted.”
― Sophocles
1073 likes
Like

Polls

February is classics month. Vote for which one you want to read. Poll closing date is Wednesday, January 16th.

Murder in the Cathedral Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot T.S. Eliot
 
  2 votes, 33.3%

The Princess of Cleves The Princess of Cleves by Madame de La Fayette Madame de La Fayette
 
  2 votes, 33.3%

Northanger Abbey Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen Jane Austen
 
  1 vote, 16.7%

The Age of Innocence The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton Edith Wharton
 
  1 vote, 16.7%

The Three Theban Plays The Theban Plays by Sophocles Sophocles
 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

6 total votes
More...

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics posts views last activity  
100+ Books in 2025: Natalie's 2009 List 2 311 Aug 07, 2009 08:54AM  
The Next Best Boo...: Classics... You Want To Read. 119 841 Feb 21, 2010 11:18AM  
2010 books in 201...: Heather Benson 31 41 Oct 26, 2010 10:07PM  
Book Freaks: Heather's Books 31 55 Oct 26, 2010 10:36PM  
For The L♥ve of R...: Heather's Books 37 50 Oct 27, 2010 10:15AM  
---------Love- to...: Heather B's Books 32 10 Oct 27, 2010 10:49AM  
The Book Challenge: Heather's 2010 Book Challenge 34 33 Oct 27, 2010 12:11PM  
The World's Liter...: Future Readings after Greece 20 83 Nov 30, 2010 09:36PM  
Cover to Cover Ch...: Heather Benson, 144 Books for 2010 37 54 Feb 19, 2011 05:05PM  


Is this you? Let us know. If not, help out and invite Sophocles to Goodreads.