Introduction. Aeschylus (525-456 B.C.) was the the first of the three great Athenian tragic dramatists or tragedians. He was the author of around 80 plays, of which only seven survive. He is reputed to gave fought at the battle of Marathon in 490 B.C. and probably also at Salamis in 480 B.C. "The Persians" which was originally produced in 472 B.C. was the only tragic play, for which the subject matter was taken from recent history rather than the normal legendary background. Aeschylus seems to imply that the...