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Sophocles served as a general alongside Pericles in a campaign against Samos in 441 BC.
Answer: True
Explanation: Historical accounts confirm Sophocles's involvement in civic and military affairs, including serving as a general alongside Pericles during the campaign against Samos.
Sophocles was posthumously awarded the epithet 'Dexion' for his service in hosting the cult image of Asclepius.
Answer: True
Explanation: The epithet 'Dexion,' meaning 'receiver,' was bestowed upon Sophocles posthumously in recognition of his role in hosting the cult image of Asclepius during its introduction to Athens.
Sophocles was born in Athens and spent his entire life there.
Answer: False
Explanation: Sophocles was born in Colonus, a community in Attica, and while he spent much of his life in Athens, the statement that he spent his entire life there is not fully accurate.
Sophocles's father was an armour manufacturer.
Answer: True
Explanation: The provided information specifies that Sophocles's father was engaged in the profession of armour manufacturing.
Sophocles did not hail from a humble background; he came from a wealthy family.
Answer: True
Explanation: Sophocles came from a prosperous family, indicated by his father's profession as an armour manufacturer and the comprehensive education he received.
The epithet 'Dexion' does not mean 'enemy' and was not given for military service.
Answer: True
Explanation: The epithet 'Dexion' signifies 'receiver' and was awarded for Sophocles's civic contribution of hosting the cult image of Asclepius, not for military actions.
Sophocles never traveled outside of Athens, refusing invitations from foreign rulers.
Answer: True
Explanation: Unlike some contemporaries, Sophocles maintained a steadfast commitment to Athens and reportedly declined invitations to visit foreign courts.
A eulogy written for Sophocles did not state he died young after a brief illness; rather, it described his death as fortunate.
Answer: True
Explanation: The eulogy described Sophocles's death as fortunate and blessed, highlighting a peaceful end after a long and successful life, contrary to the notion of dying young or from illness.
Approximately when did Sophocles live, and how old was he at the time of his death?
Answer: Born c. 497/496 BC, died aged 90-92
Explanation: Sophocles was born around 497/496 BC and lived to approximately 90 to 92 years of age, dying in the winter of 406/405 BC.
Which of the following was NOT a public service role undertaken by Sophocles?
Answer: Ambassador to Sparta
Explanation: While Sophocles served as treasurer and general, records do not indicate he held the position of ambassador to Sparta.
For what action was Sophocles posthumously awarded the epithet 'Dexion'?
Answer: For hosting the image of Asclepius during the introduction of his cult to Athens.
Explanation: The epithet 'Dexion' was awarded to Sophocles posthumously for his role in facilitating the introduction of Asclepius's cult to Athens by hosting the deity's image.
What is the significance of Colonus in relation to Sophocles and one of his plays?
Answer: It was Sophocles's birthplace and the setting for *Oedipus at Colonus*.
Explanation: Colonus holds significance as Sophocles's birthplace and serves as the setting for his tragedy *Oedipus at Colonus*.
What was Sophocles's father's profession?
Answer: An armour manufacturer
Explanation: Sophocles's father was an armour manufacturer, indicating a family background of skilled craft and commerce.
What does the epithet 'Dexion' awarded to Sophocles signify?
Answer: The Receiver
Explanation: The epithet 'Dexion,' bestowed upon Sophocles, translates to 'The Receiver,' acknowledging his role in welcoming the cult of Asclepius.
How did Sophocles differ from contemporaries like Aeschylus and Euripides regarding foreign courts?
Answer: He never accepted invitations to visit foreign courts, remaining committed to Athens.
Explanation: Unlike Aeschylus and Euripides, Sophocles maintained a strong allegiance to Athens and reportedly declined opportunities to visit foreign royal courts.
What does the ancient source Athenaeus report about Sophocles's personal life, citing Ion of Chios?
Answer: That Sophocles was 'partial to boys' and recounts an anecdote about a symposium.
Explanation: Athenaeus, citing Ion of Chios, reports that Sophocles exhibited a preference for young men and includes an anecdote concerning his interactions at a symposium.
Sophocles introduced a third actor to Greek theatre, which allowed for greater character interaction and development.
Answer: True
Explanation: Sophocles is credited with introducing a third actor, which significantly enhanced the complexity of dramatic interactions and character development on stage.
Sophocles achieved his first major theatrical success in 468 BC, defeating Aeschylus at the Dionysia festival.
Answer: True
Explanation: Sophocles's first significant theatrical triumph occurred in 468 BC when he secured first prize at the Dionysia festival, notably surpassing Aeschylus.
Sophocles won 24 dramatic competitions, never finishing below second place.
Answer: True
Explanation: Sophocles's remarkable success in dramatic competitions is documented: he participated in 30 contests, winning 24 and consistently placing no lower than second.
Sophocles described his artistic development in four stages, starting with comedy.
Answer: False
Explanation: Sophocles described his artistic development in three stages, focusing on imitation, unique methods, and refined diction, not four stages starting with comedy.
The introduction of *skenographia*, or scene-painting, is definitively attributed solely to Sophocles.
Answer: False
Explanation: While Sophocles is sometimes credited with introducing *skenographia* (scene-painting), other sources attribute its introduction to Agatharchus of Samos.
Sophocles's success rate in dramatic competitions far surpassed that of both Aeschylus and Euripides.
Answer: True
Explanation: Sophocles's record of 24 wins out of 30 competitions, never placing lower than second, demonstrates a significantly higher success rate compared to Aeschylus (13 wins) and Euripides (4 wins).
What was Sophocles's remarkable success rate in Athenian dramatic competitions?
Answer: He participated in 30 competitions, winning 24 and never finishing lower than second place.
Explanation: Sophocles achieved unparalleled success in dramatic contests, winning 24 out of 30 competitions and consistently securing a top-two placement.
Which significant innovation in dramatic structure is attributed to Sophocles?
Answer: The introduction of a third actor into theatrical performances.
Explanation: Sophocles is credited with introducing a third actor to the stage, a pivotal development that allowed for more complex character interactions and dramatic possibilities.
Besides adding a third actor, how else did Sophocles significantly develop dramatic writing?
Answer: By giving characters greater depth and complexity.
Explanation: Beyond theatrical innovations, Sophocles significantly advanced dramatic writing by imbuing his characters with unprecedented depth and psychological complexity.
What significant event marked Sophocles's first major artistic triumph in the theatre?
Answer: Winning first prize at the Dionysia festival in 468 BC, defeating Aeschylus.
Explanation: Sophocles's initial major success came in 468 BC when he won the prestigious Dionysia festival competition, notably defeating the established playwright Aeschylus.
Which of the following best describes Sophocles's third stage of artistic development?
Answer: Refining his diction to be more expressive and natural.
Explanation: Sophocles characterized his third stage of artistic development as a refinement of his diction, aiming for greater expressiveness and naturalism in language.
What is *skenographia*?
Answer: The art of scene-painting in theatrical productions.
Explanation: *Skenographia* refers to the artistic practice of scene-painting, an element of stagecraft employed in ancient Greek theatre.
How did Sophocles's win record compare to Aeschylus and Euripides?
Answer: Sophocles won significantly more competitions than both Aeschylus and Euripides.
Explanation: Sophocles's competitive record (24 wins) substantially exceeded that of Aeschylus (13 wins) and Euripides (4 wins), marking him as the most successful tragedian in Athenian festivals.
Sophocles did not exclusively author tragedies, as he also wrote plays in other dramatic forms, such as satyr plays.
Answer: True
Explanation: The source indicates Sophocles wrote satyr plays, such as *Ichneutae* (Tracking Satyrs), demonstrating he did not exclusively author tragedies.
Sophocles's plays were not all written as continuous trilogies performed together at festivals.
Answer: True
Explanation: The source material indicates that Sophocles's plays, including the Theban cycle, were composed for separate festival competitions over many years, rather than as continuous trilogies.
The 'Theban plays' do not consist of *Ajax*, *Electra*, and *Philoctetes*.
Answer: True
Explanation: The 'Theban plays' are recognized as *Oedipus Rex*, *Antigone*, and *Oedipus at Colonus*. *Ajax*, *Electra*, and *Philoctetes* are distinct works by Sophocles.
The play *Ajax* deals with the hero's eventual triumph and return home after the Trojan War.
Answer: False
Explanation: The play *Ajax* focuses on the hero's disgrace following the awarding of Achilles' armor, leading to his madness and suicide, rather than a triumph and return.
In *The Women of Trachis*, Deianeira intentionally poisons Heracles as an act of revenge.
Answer: False
Explanation: In *The Women of Trachis*, Deianeira mistakenly applies a poisoned garment, believing it to be a love charm, which leads to Heracles's death, rather than an intentional act of revenge.
The central theme of *Antigone* is the conflict between the protagonist's ambition and the state's authority.
Answer: False
Explanation: The central theme of *Antigone* is the profound conflict between divine law (regarding burial rites) and human law (King Creon's decree), not primarily the protagonist's ambition.
Sophocles's play *Philoctetes* involves the Greeks seeking out the archer Philoctetes because his unerring bow was crucial for winning the Trojan War.
Answer: True
Explanation: The narrative of *Philoctetes* centers on the Greeks' need to retrieve the archer Philoctetes and his essential bow, which was prophesied to be crucial for the victory in the Trojan War.
Sophocles's *Electra* focuses on Electra's efforts to reconcile her family after Agamemnon's murder.
Answer: False
Explanation: Sophocles's *Electra* primarily details Electra's and her brother Orestes's plot for revenge against their mother Clytemnestra and stepfather Aegisthus, not family reconciliation.
*Oedipus at Colonus* is significant because it is set in Sophocles's birthplace and was performed during his lifetime.
Answer: False
Explanation: While *Oedipus at Colonus* is set in Sophocles's birthplace, it was performed posthumously, not during his lifetime.
In Sophocles's *Ajax*, Odysseus ensures Ajax receives a proper burial despite their rivalry.
Answer: True
Explanation: Following Ajax's suicide, Odysseus intervenes to persuade the Greek leaders to grant Ajax a dignified burial, demonstrating respect despite their prior conflict.
Which of the following plays are NOT considered part of the 'Theban plays' group?
Answer: Ajax
Explanation: The plays commonly identified as the 'Theban plays' are *Oedipus Rex*, *Antigone*, and *Oedipus at Colonus*. *Ajax* belongs to a different thematic grouping.
Why were the 'Theban plays' not considered a continuous narrative trilogy?
Answer: They were composed for separate festival competitions over many years.
Explanation: The 'Theban plays' were not conceived as a unified trilogy but were written and performed across different years for separate dramatic competitions.
What event leads to the hero's disgrace and eventual suicide in Sophocles's play *Ajax*?
Answer: Being awarded Achilles' armor instead of Odysseus.
Explanation: Ajax's profound disgrace stems from the decision to award Achilles' armor to Odysseus rather than himself, which precipitates his madness and subsequent suicide.
In *The Women of Trachis*, how does Deianeira cause Heracles's death?
Answer: By applying a poisoned garment, mistaking it for a love charm.
Explanation: Deianeira inadvertently causes Heracles's death by applying a robe treated with a poisoned substance, which she believed was a love charm.
What fundamental conflict is explored in Sophocles's play *Antigone*?
Answer: The clash between divine law and human law regarding burial rites.
Explanation: The central conflict in *Antigone* revolves around the tension between Antigone's adherence to divine law concerning burial rites and King Creon's imposition of state law.
What makes the Greek archer Philoctetes essential for winning the Trojan War in Sophocles's play?
Answer: His unerring bow, crucial for victory.
Explanation: Philoctetes's possession of an unerring bow is depicted as indispensable for the Greeks to achieve victory in the Trojan War.
In Sophocles's *Electra*, who are the primary targets of Electra and Orestes's revenge plot?
Answer: Clytemnestra and Aegisthus
Explanation: The revenge plot in Sophocles's *Electra* is directed against Clytemnestra, Electra's mother, and Aegisthus, her stepfather and murderer of Agamemnon.
What action does Odysseus take regarding Ajax after Ajax's suicide in the play *Ajax*?
Answer: He persuades the kings to grant Ajax a proper burial.
Explanation: Despite their rivalry, Odysseus advocates for and successfully persuades the Greek leaders to grant Ajax a proper burial following his tragic suicide.
Sophocles is widely regarded as one of the three most significant figures in ancient Greek tragedy.
Answer: False
Explanation: The source identifies Sophocles as one of the three most significant figures in ancient Greek tragedy, alongside Aeschylus and Euripides.
Aristotle, in his *Poetics*, cites Sophocles's *Oedipus Rex* as a prime example of a perfectly constructed tragedy.
Answer: False
Explanation: Contrary to the assertion, Aristotle's *Poetics* cites *Oedipus Rex* as a model of tragic construction, not as poorly constructed.
Sophocles wrote over 120 plays, but only seven of his tragedies have survived completely.
Answer: True
Explanation: The source material states that Sophocles authored more than 120 plays, with seven tragedies surviving in their complete form.
Sophocles's surviving plays incorporate elements of Socratic logic and fatalism.
Answer: True
Explanation: Sophocles's works are noted for their undercurrent of fatalism and the incorporation of elements akin to Socratic logic, reflecting evolving philosophical thought.
Fragments of Sophocles's play *Ichneutae* were discovered in Egypt in 1907.
Answer: True
Explanation: In 1907, fragments of Sophocles's satyr play, *Ichneutae* (Tracking Satyrs), were unearthed in Egypt, constituting a significant portion of the work.
Infrared technology was used to discover fragments of Sophocles's play *Epigoni*, not *Oedipus Rex*.
Answer: True
Explanation: Infrared technology was employed in the discovery of fragments from Sophocles's tragedy *Epigoni*, not from *Oedipus Rex*.
Who is considered one of the three most important figures in ancient Greek tragedy alongside Aeschylus and Euripides?
Answer: Sophocles
Explanation: Sophocles is universally recognized as one of the three preeminent tragedians of ancient Greece, alongside Aeschylus and Euripides.
How many complete plays by Sophocles have survived to the present day?
Answer: Seven
Explanation: Out of Sophocles's extensive body of work, seven complete tragedies have been preserved to the modern era.
According to Aristotle's *Poetics*, which Sophocles play is considered the highest achievement in tragedy?
Answer: Oedipus Rex
Explanation: Aristotle, in his seminal work *Poetics*, identifies Sophocles's *Oedipus Rex* as the paramount example of a perfectly constructed tragedy.
What philosophical or thematic element began to appear in Sophocles's plays?
Answer: Elements of Socratic logic and fatalism.
Explanation: Sophocles's dramatic works began to incorporate elements reflecting Socratic logic and the pervasive theme of fatalism.
Fragments of which Sophocles play were discovered in Egypt in 1907, making it one of the best-preserved satyr plays?
Answer: Ichneutae (Tracking Satyrs)
Explanation: Fragments of Sophocles's satyr play, *Ichneutae* (Tracking Satyrs), were discovered in Egypt in 1907, contributing significantly to the preservation of this genre.
What technology aided in the discovery of fragments of Sophocles's play *Epigoni* in 2005?
Answer: Infrared technology
Explanation: Infrared technology, initially developed for satellite imaging, proved instrumental in the 2005 discovery of fragments from Sophocles's tragedy *Epigoni*.