ABSTRACT
Sophocles, the son of Sophilus an Athenian, was born at Colonus, and educated with great attention. Aristotle, who formed his judgement from the three great Athenian Poets, particularly from Sophocles, observes that tragedies of Sophocles after various changes, has attained the perfection of its nature, aimed at no further improvements. Superior vigour and address in the exercises of the Palestra, and skill in music, were the great accomplishments of young men in the states of Greece. 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. Sophocles appears with splendid dignity, like some imperial palace of richest architecture, the symmetry of whose parts, and the chast magnificence of the whole delight the eye, and command the approbation of the judgement.
