Whether it is fate, destiny, the will of the gods, or the path a person chooses for himself, all these unknowns are connected and played with in Sophocles' literature. You can talk about each of these as a main theme in all of his stories. Jeffrey L. Buller wrote an author biography on Sophocles. Sophocles was born at Colonus within the city limits of Athens, Greece, around the beginning of the 5th century BC (c. 496 BC). Colonus had its legendary heroes, one of whom was the center of “three of Sophocles' most famous tragedies,” Oedipus. According to legend, one of the local heroes had “been an exiled Theban king, who disappeared mysteriously in a grove at Colonus and who continued to protect the area until the days of Sophocles”. In the 5th century, competitions were held and prizes were awarded to the best playwrights. “Sophocles received first prize about twenty times… he often won second prize and never, say the ancient authorities, came last.” By winning these competitions, more than any other playwright of the time, he demonstrated that he was building a highly successful career. Sophocles is said to have learned “the art of tragedy” from Aeschylus; however, it is uncertain whether Aeschylus served as a mentor, or Sophocles was self-taught using "imitation" of Aeschylus' work. Aside from his literary career, Sophocles was also “actively involved in the political and military life of the Athenians”; Sophocles served as a general in the army and held several political positions. Sophocles' critics claim that the imitation of Aeschylus is present in the “first period of heavy tragedies” of his work. The other two periods of his work, all three defined by Sophocles himself, are...... middle of paper ...... April 2014.Buller, Jeffrey L. "Sophocles." Magill's Survey of World Literature, revised edition (2009): 1-6. MagillOnLiterature Plus. Network. 15 April 2014. Holmes, John R. "Oedipus Tyrannus". Cyclopedia of literary places (2003): 1. MagillOnLiterature Plus. Network. 15 April 2014.Lewin, Jennifer. "An Overview of Oedipus Rex." Dramaturgy for students. Detroit: Gale. Literary Resource Center. Network. April 15, 2014."Oedipus Tyrannus." Cyclopedia of Literary Characters, third revised edition (1998): 1-2. MagillOnLiterature Plus. Network. 15 April 2014.Walton, J. Michael. "Oedipus Rex: Overview." Reference Guide to World Literature. Ed. Lesley Henderson. 2nd ed. New York: St. James Press, 1995. Literature Resource Center. Network. April 15, 2014.Weigel, Jr., James. "Oedipus Tyrant." Masterplots, fourth edition (2010): 1-3. MagillOnLiteratura Plus. Network. 15 April 2014.