Euripides (480 BC-406 BC) is revered as one of the three great tragedians of classical Athens, along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, and produced the largest body of extant work by any ancient playwright. He is considered to be the most modern of the three, and he laid the foundation for Western theatre. His works are characterized by their moral ambiguity, plots of intrigue, and a separate character (usually a deity) who introduces the play with an explanatory prologue. «The Cyclops» dramatizes one of the most recognizable episodes from Homer's «Odyssey». It is not one of Euripides' most famous works, however, it is the only complete preserved satyr play from ancient Greece. A satyr was a light and humorous play that was usually produced after a series of three tragedies in order to relieve Greek audiences from the seriousness and gloom of those previous. It typically parodied the previous plays' tragic characters and themes.
