The Persians
| The Persians | |
|---|---|
Drawing by George Romney: The Ghost of Darius Appearing to Atossa | |
| Written by | Aeschylus |
| Chorus | Persian Elders |
| Characters | Atossa Messenger Ghost of Darius Xerxes |
| Date premiered | 472 BC |
| Place premiered | Athens |
| Original language | Ancient Greek |
| Setting | Susa |
The Persians (Ancient Greek: Πέρσαι, romanized: Pérsai, Latinised as Persae) is an ancient Greek tragedy written during the Classical period of Ancient Greece by the Greek tragedian Aeschylus. It is the second and only surviving part of a now otherwise lost trilogy that won the first prize at the dramatic competitions in Athens' City Dionysia festival in 472 BC, with Pericles serving as choregos. It is Aeschylus' oldest surviving play, and, by extension, the oldest surviving piece of ancient Greek drama.