Aeschylus (c. 525-456 BC)

Greek theater before Aeschylus consisted of solo performers addressing a chorus. By adding a second actor, he created the possibility for dramatic conflict - a deceptively simple innovation that revolutionized storytelling forever.

From approximately 70-90 plays, seven survived. The Oresteia stands alone as ancient Greece's only complete trilogy, examining justice, revenge, and law's emergence with remarkable sophistication. Though he fought at Marathon and preferred being remembered as a warrior, history honors him differently: as tragedy's founder, the first artist recognizing that character confrontation could reveal fundamental truths about human existence. His legacy shaped every dramatic work that followed.