Euripides

[ yoo-rip-i-deez, yuh- ]

noun

1. c480–406? b.c., Greek dramatist.

Euripides

/ jʊˈrɪpɪˌdiːz /

noun

1. Euripides?480 bc406 bcMGreekTHEATRE: dramatist ?480–406 bc , Greek tragic dramatist. His plays, 18 of which are extant, include Alcestis, Medea, Hippolytus, Hecuba, Trojan Women, Electra, Iphigeneia in Tauris, Iphigeneia in Aulis, and Bacchae

Euripides

1. An ancient Greek dramatist. He was the author of numerous tragedies , including the Bacchae , Medea , and The Trojan Women . He often used the device of deus ex machina (literally, “a god from the machine”) to resolve his plots .

Notes

Today, a “deus ex machina” refers to any person or event that provides a sudden, unexpected solution to a problem or situation.

Other Words From

• Eu·ripi·dean adjective

Example Sentences

Jackson is part of a long tradition of dissenting, critical-minded dramatists, dating back to Euripides and extending through George Bernard Shaw to the present.

From Los Angeles Times

Perhaps Aeschylus and Euripides and the other big winners of fifth century B.C.

From New York Times

Euripides first put Medea on the stage in ancient Greece, and she’s never left it.

From Los Angeles Times

He studied Greek and quoted freely from Homer and Euripides.

From National Geographic

Among the tragedians, there are extant works from only three: Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides.

From New York Times