The epic Oedipus Trilogy by Sophocles recounts the story of a once-noble family dragged down from wealth and power—inexorably moving toward catastrophe through the sin of pride, incest, murder and suicide.

Towering over the rest of Greek tragedy, the three plays that tell the story of the ill-fated Theban royal family: Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone, are among the most majestic and timeless dramas ever written.

SOPHOCLES, considered the greatest of Grecian tragedians, was born at Colonus, just outside Athens, circa 496 BC. His life coincided with the rise and decline of the Athenian Empire. Seven of his tragedies are now extant: Ajax, Antigone, Oedipus Rex, Women of Trachis, Electra, Philoctetes, and the posthumous Oedipus at Colonus.