17 Famous Greek Tragedies Everyone Should Read

Looking for good reading material? Greek tragedies are entertaining, thoughtful, and often heartbreaking.

There are a lot of them, though, so how do you know where to start? As a professor of Classics, I have read every surviving Greek tragedy, and I’m here to share my top picks with you.

Some of these plays, like Antigone and Medea, are quite famous. They make it onto the reading lists for literature classes, and you can still see them performed in theaters today.

Other plays, like Ion and Heracles, are less known, but definitely worth your time.

This list includes tragedies by all three of the major Greek tragedians: Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides.

It’s time to familiarize yourself with the dramatic (no pun intended) escapades of the ancient Mediterranean! We will start with the most famous Greek tragedies before moving on to the hidden gems.

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7 Best Greek Tragedies To Start With

If you are new to the world of Greek drama, then you should begin with the greatest hits. After all, they are famous for a reason!

Characters such as Oedipus, Antigone, and Medea have inspired readers and viewers for millennia. That’s not an exaggeration. It’s been almost 2,500 years since these plays were first performed in ancient Athens.

In just a moment we will dive into the details of different plays and why you should read them. But first: are you just here for a quick recommendation? Here you go!

This anthology is my top pick for anyone with a casual interest in Greek tragedy. But I also recommend shorter volumes below if you are interested in specific authors or plays.

Now let’s get down to business!

I advise reading the works of Sophocles and Euripides first. My students usually find these two authors more accessible than Aeschylus, who can be a bit old-fashioned.

Sophocles’ Theban plays are a fantastic place to begin.

Thebes is a city in Boeotia, a region in central Greece. The mythical Theban royal family had a troubled history which featured patricide, incest, suicide, and several bouts of murderous madness.

For this reason, Thebes is an extremely popular tragic location – and it is the setting for two of Sophocles’ most famous plays.

#1-2: Oedipus Rex and Antigone by Sophocles

The tale of Oedipus, king of Thebes, revolves around the clash between fate and free will. How much control do we have over our lives? Can we change our destiny, or is it set in stone?

When a plague strikes Thebes, Oedipus is determined to discover why the gods are angry. But his quest for truth brings with it terrible secrets about his own past. No spoilers here, but let’s just say – you will soon understand where the term “Oedipal complex” comes from!

Antigone takes place after Oedipus Rex and Oedipus’ fall from grace. As the title suggests, this play focuses on the choices of Antigone, Oedipus’ daughter.

Antigone ignores royal commands in her determination to give her brother proper funeral rites. Her defiance triggers the conflict of the play and raises its central question: How far should we obey authority?

🩸 Explore Thebes and meet the ultimate dysfunctional family! 🩸

#3: Medea by Euripides

Have you ever heard of the sorceress Medea? She’s famous for killing her children to get revenge on her husband, Jason.

Euripides’ Medea is the most well-known version of this myth, and this play is an absolute must-read for anyone interested in Greek tragedy or classical mythology.

The action takes place in Corinth in south-central Greece. When Jason decides to abandon Medea to marry a young Corinthian princess, Medea is not pleased. (Understatement of the century!)

As you read, bear in mind that Medea is from Colchis (a city on the Black Sea, in modern Georgia). This means that the Greeks consider her a “barbarian”. So despite her intelligence and supernatural powers, her foreign birth puts her at a disadvantage in Greek society.

Medea is at times extremely disturbing, but that makes the story all the more powerful. Central themes include vengeance, reason vs. emotion, heroism, xenophobia, and gender norms.

🗡️ Don’t miss this dramatic tour de force! 🗡️

(This edition also includes Hippolytus, the next tragedy on this list.)

#4: Hippolytus by Euripides

This Greek classic focuses on the conflict between lust and reason, city and wilderness, passion and duty. The royal family of Athens are the casualties.

Hippolytus, prince of Athens, spends all his time hunting in the wilderness and worshipping the virgin goddess Artemis. But then he angers Aphrodite, goddess of love, with a few careless words.

Aphrodite’s vengeance is swift.

Hippolytus’ stepmother Phaedra falls madly in love with him. She is ashamed of her passion, but unable to conceal it . . . and so begins a web of lies that culminates in disaster for everyone.

Incest, suicide, and murder abound, and we are left to wonder: are humans merely the playthings of the gods?

💔 Check out this tale of desire, shame, and divine revenge! 💔

#5-7: Aeschylus’ Oresteia

Have you ever heard of the Trojan War? Paris, a Trojan prince, kidnaps Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, and her husband starts a war to bring her back to Greece.

The Greeks are off fighting at Troy for 10 years, and a lot can happen in that time. When the warriors finally return home, many of them meet with less-than-warm welcomes.

Agamemnon, leader of the Greeks, is especially unlucky. His wife Clytemnestra is plotting to kill him, and soon their entire family will be in uproar.

Aeschylus’ Oresteia consists of three tragedies:

1. Agamemnon
2. Libation Bearers
3. Eumenides

All three focus on the family of Agamemnon. Agamemnon himself doesn’t have too many lines, even in the first play. Instead we hear a lot from Clytemnestra and from their children, Electra and Orestes.

This is why the entire trilogy is called the “Oresteia” or the “tale of Orestes”.

If you are wondering about the title of the third play: “Eumenides” means “the Kindly Ones”. This is another name for the Furies – goddesses of the underworld who pursue murderers and avenge the shedding of kindred blood. This gives you an idea of how the tale develops!

💀 Blood curses, insanity, and meddling gods . . . Aeschylus’ iconic trilogy has it all! 💀

All right, so now you know the very best Greek tragedies to start out with. Remember that all seven of these popular tragedies are included in this collection of 16 amazing plays.

You can also buy volumes dedicated to a specific author (say, Euripides), which is great if you would eventually like to read all of the extant Greek tragedies.

Speaking of which . . .

10 Greek Tragedies You Haven’t Read – But Should!

You’ve heard of Medea, Antigone, and Oedipus Rex. But did you know that there are over 30 tragedies surviving from classical Athens?

Fame is a fickle thing, and some of the greatest Greek tragedies (in my opinion) receive little attention. It’s time to look at 10 less well-known plays that you should absolutely read.

The plays are listed in rough chronological order. That is, in order of when they were written and first performed at Athens.

You will notice that titles by Euripides predominate. That’s because more of his plays survive.

#1: Aeschylus’ Persians

This play has the distinction of being the only surviving historical tragedy. The play dramatizes the aftermath of the Battle of Salamis, which occurred in 480 B.C.E. and marked a turning point in the Persian Wars.

At Salamis the Greeks, led by the Athenians, defeated the Persian navy at sea and forced a Persian retreat. Aeschylus wrote Persians in 472 B.C.E., a mere 8 years after the event.

The play takes place at the Persian capital, Susa, and highlights the Persian perspective. We see the queen mother, Atossa, worrying about her son Xerxes away at war. We hear a messenger’s account of the catastrophe at Salamis and then see Xerxes himself return in rags.

Persians is unique in its historical material and in its choice to focus on the defeated Persians. This play definitely deserves a read, especially if you are interested in the interplay between art and history.

⚔️ Read all about this tragic clash between continents! ⚔️

#2: Sophocles’ Women of Trachis

This under-appreciated tragedy – sometimes called by its Greek name Trachiniae – tells how the great hero Heracles meets his end.

Heracles is away at war while his wife Deianeira awaits him at home in Trachis. Deianeira already feels that her husband is neglecting her, so when she hears that he has fallen in love with a younger woman, she takes drastic action.

Deianeira’s attempt to regain Heracles’ love has catastrophic results. In the end, no one gets what they want – this is a tragedy, after all. But mythology lovers will sympathize with Deianeira’s plight and appreciate the angsty account of Heracles’ final hours.

🔥 Read the most famous Greek hero’s final adventure! 🔥

#3: Euripides’ Alcestis

This unique play is a tragicomedy. This means that it combines elements of two genres: tragedy and comedy.

The god Apollo has made a deal with the Fates so that his devotee Admetus can avoid an untimely death. The catch is that Admetus has to find someone to die in his place. The only person willing is his wife, Alcestis.

At the beginning of the play Alcestis is fading fast. Shortly after her death Heracles shows up and, after much hilarity, he heads to Hades to rescue her.

Alcestis is a one-of-a-kind Greek play, and you don’t want to miss it! This play has a bit of everything, ranging from Alcestis’ noble (or foolish?) self-sacrifice to Heracles’ drunken carousing.

💐 Get the only tragedy meant to make you laugh! 💐

(As an added bonus, the volume also includes Medea and Hippolytus.)

#4: Euripides’ Electra

This quirky play doesn’t get as much attention as other accounts of the troubles within Agamemnon’s family. But I love it for its bizarre scenarios, its thinly veiled mockery of Aeschylus, and its philosophical musings.

If you have read Aeschylus’ Oresteia, then you know how Clytemnestra killed her husband Agamemnon after he returned from the Trojan War. Euripides’ Electra picks up the tale after Agamemnon’s murder.

Agamemnon’s daughter Electra lives in a hovel in the countryside with her farmer husband. Marriage to a commoner is meant to disgrace her, but she dreams of her brother Orestes’ return and longs to get revenge on her mother.

Electra’s marriage to the farmer creates a unique atmosphere and a chance to reflect on class relations.

🌀 Enjoy Euripides’ innovative take on an iconic myth! 🌀

#5: Euripides’ Heracles

If you know anything about Heracles, you know that the goddess Hera persecutes him constantly. In this heart-wrenching tragedy, Hera enacts the ultimate revenge: she makes Heracles kill his family.

In the first half of this play, we meet Heracles’ wife Megaera, his children, and his elderly father. They face danger from a hostile king, but when Heracles returns, everything seems to be okay.

That’s when Lyssa, the personification of Madness, appears and the true tragedy occurs. Euripides deals with one of the most difficult Heracles myths and tackles the question of divine injustice head-on.

Heracles is definitely one of the lesser known Greek tragedies, but it is thought-provoking and deserves your time. So add it to your to-read list!

🦁 Don’t miss the most tragic episode in Heracles’ life! 🦁

(This volume also includes Ion, the next play on the list!)

#6: Euripides’ Ion

One of my very favorite Greek tragedies is Euripides’ Ion. This fascinating play dramatizes a local Athenian legend.

The god Apollo rapes and impregnates Creusa, an Athenian princess, and she in her fear of scandal exposes her baby. Apollo saves his son, unbeknownst to Creusa, and makes him a temple attendant at Delphi.

Fast forward a few decades, and Creusa is married and unable to have children.

The real drama begins when Creusa and her husband visit Delphi to inquire about their infertility. Creusa has no idea that her infant son has grown up into Ion, the temple attendant. A whirlwind of misunderstandings and murderous plots ensues.

What I like about this play is that Creusa is furious at Apollo. She blames him for his assault and for all the pain it has caused her. Even though Apollo “fixes” things in the end, one is left with a less-than-positive picture of him.

🏛️ Find out if Creusa gets her happy ending! 🏛️

(Remember: this volume also includes Heracles!)

#7: Euripides’ Helen

Helen is famed as the woman whose beauty started the Trojan War. But did you know Helen never really went to Troy? In fact, she was in Egypt for the whole duration of the war!

Or at least, that’s what Euripides tells us in his play Helen. In this light-hearted reworking of the Trojan War myth, Helen waits in Egypt and laments the fact that everyone believes her to be unfaithful.

Then Helen’s husband Menelaus arrives in Egypt. He brings with him a “phantom Helen”, the fake Helen that was at Troy all along.

The two Helens, a very confused Menelaus, and a conniving Egyptian king make for a delightful romp through classical mythology.

👑 Read Helen’s side of the story now! 👑

(Major plus: this volume also includes the next two plays on this list, Phoenician Women and Orestes.)

#8: Euripides’ Phoenician Women

Back in the day I wrote my senior thesis on Euripides’ Phoenician Women, so maybe I’m biased. But I think it’s pretty cool!

If you have read Sophocles’ Theban plays, then you know all about how Oedipus accidentally married his mother Jocasta.

Phoenician Women tells the story of Oedipus’ sons, Eteocles and Polyneices, who fight over who should be king of Thebes. When the play starts, Polyneices is leading an army to attack Thebes and take the crown from his brother.

Jocasta desperately tries to prevent her sons from fighting, but a final duel on the battlefield is inevitable.

😢 Watch power and greed tear apart an already unlucky family! 😢

(And remember, the volume also includes Helen and Orestes!)

#9: Euripides’ Orestes

Earlier in this post we met Orestes’ sister, Electra. This highly unconventional play picks up after Orestes and Electra have killed their mother Clytemnestra in revenge for her murder of their father.

Orestes is the rightful king of Argos, but the people aren’t sure what to think of him after the matricide. To make matters worse, Orestes is tormented by Furies and gradually goes insane.

As Orestes and Electra face execution for their crime, they hatch a desperate plot: kill Helen and kidnap her daughter Hermione. Of course things don’t go as planned.

Orestes showcases Euripides’ creativity and willingness to play with traditional myths. If you are familiar with the “canonical” story of Agamemnon’s children, then you will love this radical reimagining!

🫢 Follow Orestes on his increasingly bizarre adventures! 🫢

(Remember: Phoenician Women and Helen are there, too.)

#10: Euripides’ Iphigenia in Aulis

Iphigenia in Aulis was unfinished at the time of Euripides’ death. Consequently it was his son (or nephew) who polished it up and presented it to Athens. Despite the somewhat unedited state, this play won’t disappoint.

We have already heard about how Clytemnestra killed her husband Agamemnon after his return from the Trojan War. Well, Iphigenia in Aulis goes ten years into the past and gives us the backstory: why was Clytemnestra so bitter?

The Greeks can’t set sail for Troy because of unfavorable winds, so they are stuck at the port of Aulis. The solution: sacrifice Agamemnon’s daughter Iphigenia to Artemis.

Agamemnon lures Iphigenia to Aulis on false pretenses, but of course the truth soon comes out. Clytemnestra fights to save her daughter from slaughter, as does a charmingly naive young Achilles.

There is so much to unpack in this play and it gives a window into the minds of both Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. If you have ever wondered about Iphigenia and her fate, you won’t want to miss this account!

🏺 Find out more about Iphigenia! 🏺

(It’s also worth noting that Euripides’ Bacchae is included in this volume. This super famous play really should be on this list somewhere.)

All right, there you go. You now know all of my favorite Greek tragedies – so time to start reading!

Greek Tragedy: Historical Context

Before you dive into your new books, it is important for you to know a little bit about the original cultural context of ancient Greek tragedy.

First of all, when we say Greek tragedy, we almost always mean Athenian tragedy. Starting in the 5th century B.C.E., tragedies were an integral part of Athenian culture.

In fact, wealthy citizens took turns sponsoring the productions. Financing drama was considered a civic duty, just as important, for instance, as outfitting ships for the navy. This gives you an idea of how important drama was to the ancient Athenians.

The performance of tragedies was the central event of the City Dionysia, a large public festival held annually in honor of the god Dionysus. At the festival, three playwrights would present a set of four plays each, and then judges would award first, second, and third prizes.

Today, we mostly access Greek tragedies through reading. But it’s good to bear in mind that ancient Athenians would have experienced tragedy in a more holistic way.

They would have seen the brightly colored masks and costumes of the actors and the chorus. They would have seen and heard the chorus’ dancing and singing. They would have been immersed in the action in a way that we can’t imagine when we are staring at a page in a book.

In fact, the philosopher Aristotle states that a central goal of tragedy is catharsis. Tragedies inspire “pity and fear” and thus help their audience to process these emotions (Poetics 1449b).

So tragedies are supposed to cause strong reactions in us. This must be why they involve so many disturbing and devastating events!

FAQs about Greek Tragedy

Go Read Some Tragedies!

If you want to read classical literature, this list of famous Greek tragedies is a fantastic place for you to start.

Tragedy is more accessible to the modern reader than many other ancient genres. There are a limited number of characters, after all, and they are all listed at the beginning of the play. Familial relationships and other pertinent information are typically included in this dramatis personae.

What’s more, the story arcs of tragedies tend to be unified and straightforward. This makes it easy (or at least easier) to understand what is occurring even if you have no knowledge of the mythological context. You can build your knowledge of mythology in bite-sized pieces!

Honestly, tragedy is my favorite genre. And this is coming from someone who specializes in ancient epic.

So, which edition(s) of Greek tragedies should you use? This depends on your goals.

If you are interested in the greatest hits, then The Greek Plays is the most cost-effective option. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, this volume gives you 16 tragedies in one (typically for less than $20).

But maybe you would like to focus on a single author, or perhaps you would like to read more obscure plays. If so, I highly recommend the University of Chicago Press’s Complete Greek Tragedies series.

Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides all have several volumes dedicated to them. The translations are excellent and there are additional reading aids that provide information on the historical and cultural context.

If you are on a quest to explore Greek tragedy in depth, then the Chicago editions are the right choice for you.

👉 Complete Greek Tragedies: Aeschylus

👉 Complete Greek Tragedies: Sophocles

👉 Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides

Quick Note: There are also translations of all these plays available online, so you can satisfy your curiosity for free. Online texts are very hit-or-miss, though, so I generally recommend purchasing a traditionally published translation.

(If you do want an online version, I like Ian Johnston’s translations.)

I hope this post has given you lots of new additions to your reading list! I love each and every one of these plays, and I hope you will, too.

Looking for even more classical reading recommendations? You may enjoy these posts:

Homeric Hymns: Don’t Miss These Iconic Myths

Apollonius’ Argonautica: 6 Reasons To Read It Right Now

Valerius Flaccus’ Argonautica: A Roman Twist on Jason and Medea