Title of the sculptures: Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides

Location: Amalias Avenue (National Garden)

Construction: 2002

Material: Brass

Sculptor: Georgios Kalakallas

Description: Brass busts on concrete and marble pedestals, based on statues of poets from antiquity.

A few words about the Poets:

Aeschylus: Aeschylus (525 BC - 456 BC) was born in Elefsina. Only seven of his 90 tragedies survive intact. His poetry is characterized by religiosity, patriotism and philosophical thought. In his tragedies, the gods punish human arrogance, "hubris", and people are responsible for their actions. Rich expressive means, bold imagery and a lyrical tone lend grandeur and lyricism to his poetry and the heroes of his plays take on titanic dimensions. He contributed significantly in shaping drama with innovations (introduction of a second actor, reduction of the number of men in the Chorus from 50 to 12 etc.). He won 13 times in dramatic contests, with iconic tragedies such as the Seven Against Thebes, Prometheus Bound and the Oresteia trilogy.

Sophocles: Sophocles (496 BC - 406 BC) was born in Ippios Colonos in Athens. He took part in a total of about 30 dramatic contests, winning over 20 first prizes. Of his 123 dramas only seven have survived. He seeks the deepest motives in the actions of men, and the presence of the gods is evident in his work. He portrays his heroes idealized, the way they should be, as they are distinguished for their sense of duty and bravery. He brought tragedy to its greatest possible perfection with a series of innovations (increasing the number of dancers from 12 to 15, increasing the number of dialogical parts, adding a third actor, introducing scenography) and his language is distinguished by its elegance. His plays Antigone, Oedipus  the Tyrant, Electra are characteristic.

Euripides: Euripides (circa 485 BC - 406 BC) was born in Salamina. Of his 92 dramas, 18 tragedies and one satirical drama have survived. In his plays he mainly deals with the political and moral problems of his time, in a purely modernist spirit. Influenced by the Sophists, he took a skeptical approach towards the traditions and religious beliefs of his contemporaries and questioned institutions such as the place of women in society. He was regarded as the Philosopher of the Stage. The heroes in his plays are everyday people, with passions and weaknesses, not idealized (Sophocles) or supernatural (Aeschylus). The innovations attributed to him are the long prologues, the "deus ex machina" for the denouement, the use of mechanical devices (hammock) etc. Among his most famous works are Medea, Electra, Iphigenia in Tauris.

A few words about the Sculptor: The sculptor Georgios Kalakallas (1938 - 2021) taught at the Plastic Arts Department of the National Technical University of Athens from 1965 to 2005. With more than 200 exhibitions in Greece and abroad, he sculpted monuments for public spaces and won numerous awards and honors, including the Gold Medal of the Burckhardt Academy in 1974 and the ECU Silver Medal in Brussels in 1993.

Sources:
Photodentro (2023). Interactive School Books - Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs
Antonopoulou, Z. (2003). The sculptures of Athens: Open Air Sculpture 1834 - 2004. Athens: Potamos