SOPHOCLES, the famous tragic poet, was the son of Sophilus, an Athenian, and was born in the year 495 before Christ. Although the father was only a mechanic, the son enjoyed the advantage of a good education. Superior vigour and address in the exercises of the palaestra, and skill in music, were the great accomplishments of young men in the states of Greece. In these Sophocles excelled; nor was he less distinguished by the beauty of his person. He was also instructed in the noblest of all sciences, civil polity and religion: from the first of these he derived an unshaken love of his country, which he served in some embassies, and in high military command with Pericles; from the latter he was impressed with a pious reverence for the gods, manifested by the inviolabIe integrity of his life. But his studies were early devoted to the tragic muse; the spirit of Aeschylus lent a fire to his genius, and excited that noble emulation which led him to contend with, and sometimes to bear away the prize from, his great master. He wrote forty-three[7:20:481] tragedies, of which seven only have escaped the ravages of time. Having testified his love of his country by refusing to leave it, though invited by many kings, and having en joyed the uninterrupted esteem and affection of his fellow citizens, which neither the gallant actions and sublime genius of Aeschylus, nor the tender spirit and philosophic virtue of Euripides, could secure to them, he died in the beginning of the year 405, at the very advanced age of ninety.^[1. Clinton’s Fasti Hellenici, vol. ii. p. 23, 57, 83. ] The burial-place of his ancestors was at Decelia, which the'La cedaemonians had at that time seized and fortified: but Lysander, the Spartan chief, permitted the Athenians to inter their deceased poet; and they paid him all the honours due to his love of his country, integrity of life, and high poetic excellence. Aeschylus had at once seized the highest post of honour in the field of poetry, the true sublime: to that eminence his claim could not be disputed. Sophocles had a noble elevation of mind, but tempered with so fine a taste, and so chastened a judgment, that he never passed the bounds of propriety. Under his conduct the tragic muse appeared with the chaste dignity of some noble matron at a religious solemnity; harmony is in her voice, and grace in all her motions. From him the theatre received some additional embellishments; but his distinguished excellence is in the judicious disposition of the fable, and so nice a connection and dependence of the parts on each other, that they all conduce to make the event not only probable, but even necessary. This is peculiarly admirable in his King Oedipus; and in this important point he is far superior to every other dramatic writer of antiquity.

The ingratitude of the children of Sophocles is well known. They wished to become immediate masters of their father’s possessions, and therefore, tired of his long life, they accus ed him before the Areopagus of insanity. The only defence the poet made, was to read his tragedy of Oedipus at Colo nos, which he had lately finished; and he then asked his judges, whether the author of such a performance could be charged with insanity. The father upon this was acquitted, and the children returned home covered with shame and confusion.

The editions of Sophocles are very numerous, and some of them very elaborate, but we can only enumerate the more conspicuous. The editio princeps was published by Aldus, Venet. 1502, 8vo. This was followed by an edition published by the heirs of P. Junta, Florent. 1522, 4to; and another published by B. Junta, Florent. 1547, 4to. The text of Aldus was the basis of all the editions which preceded that of Tumebus, Paris. 1553, 4to. This is among the best of the early editions. We must not omit those of H. Stephanus, Paris. 1568, 4to, and of Canter, Antverp. 1579, 12mo. The text of Tumebus was chiefly adopted in all the succeeding editions till that of Brunck, Argent. 1786, 2 tom. 4to. This is a very elaborate as well as splendid edition, and strikingly displays the editor’s acute ness and learning. The same able critic published two octavo editions, each in two volumes. We now descend to the edition of Erfurdt, Lips. 180211, 8 tom. 8vo. The tragedies of Sophocles have been translated into many different languages. An English version, which was favour ably received, was published by Dr Francklin, Greek professor at Cambridge, Lond. 1759, 2 vols. 4to. Another was subsequently published by Mr Potter, Lond. 1788, 4to.