Euripides was a prominent Greek tragedian of classical Athens, born circa 480 BCE and passing in 406 BCE. He is celebrated alongside Aeschylus and Sophocles as one of the three ancient Greek tragedians whose plays have survived in their entirety. Historically, between ninety-two and ninety-five plays have been attributed to him, with eighteen or nineteen surviving almost complete. His play 'Rhesus' remains suspect in authorship.

His works were integral to ancient literary education, especially during the Hellenistic Age, alongside luminaries like Homer, Demosthenes, and Menander. Euripides is noted for his theatrical innovations, particularly his portrayal of mythical heroes as ordinary individuals in exceptional situations. This fresh perspective paved the way for developments in drama that were later adapted into comedy, and contributed to the evolution of romance literature.

Dubbed "the most tragic of poets," Euripides delved into the inner lives and motivations of his characters with unparalleled depth. His literary techniques have profoundly influenced the theatre, linking him to dramatists like Shakespeare, Racine, Ibsen, and Strindberg. Yet, he also inspired comic dramatists, including Menander and George Bernard Shaw.

In classical Athens, Euripides was renowned for his empathetic portrayal of society's victims, such as women, slaves, and foreigners. His contemporaries often compared him to Socrates, associating both with a controversial intellectualism mocked by comic poets like Aristophanes. Allegedly, Euripides voluntarily exiled himself in his later years and died in Macedonia. However, recent research casts doubt on these biographical details.