Euripides, the third of the great Athenian tragedians, wrote Hippolytus for performance at the City Dionysia in 428 BC, where it won first prize. The characters and events of the ancient Greek tragedy have engendered many imaginative theatrical responses, both in, and after, antiquity.

When was Euripides written?

EuripidesDiedc. 406 BC (aged approximately 74) MacedoniaOccupationPlaywrightNotable workMedea, 431 BC Hippolytus, 428 BC Electra, c. 420 BC The Trojan Women, c. 415 BC Bacchae, 405 BCSpouse(s)Melite Choerine

What mistake did Hippolytus make?

Theseus discovers a letter on Phaedra’s body, which falsely asserts that she was raped by Hippolytus. Enraged, Theseus curses his son either to death or at least exile.