| DATE (B.C) | SOPHOCLES' LIFE | SOPHOCLES' AGE |
| 525 | | Birth of Aeschylus |
| 497- 6 | Sophocles born in Colonus | |
| 490 | | Persian defeat at Marathon |
| 490 | | Birth of Pericles |
| 485-4 | | Birth of Euripides |
| 480 | | Persian defeat at Thermophylae and Salamis |
| 479 | | Persian defeat at Plataea |
| 468 | First victory in tragic competition | |
| 456-5 | | Aeschylus' death |
| 447-32 | | Construction of the Parthenon |
| ? 440s |
Ajax presented | |
| 443-2 | Service as imperial treasurer | |
| ? 442 |
Antigone presented | |
| 441-439 | Elected general | |
| ? 430s |
Trachinae presented | |
| 431 | | Start of Peloponnesian War: Athens vs. Sparta |
| 429 | | Pericles' death |
| ? 429-425 |
Oedipus Rex presented | |
| 428-7 | | Birth of Plato |
| ? 420s |
Electra presented | |
| 415-3 | | Athens' unsuccessful expedition against Syracuse |
| 413 | Service as special state commissioner | |
| 409 | Philoctetes presented | |
| ? 406 | | Euripides' death |
| 406-5 | Sophocles' death | |
| 404 | | Fall of Athens, end of war |
| 401 |
Oedipus at Colonus presented posthumously | |
| 399 | | Socrates' death |