The Persians, first presented in 472 BC as the second drama in a trilogy of tragedies with different themes, break away from the conventional thematic trilogy. Moreover, the work expresses a unique respect for the other surviving tragedies, as the poet develops, within the framework of myth, a historical reality of living relevance, namely the victory of the Greeks over the Persian forces of Xerxes.

The truth is that the drama does not aim for a patriotic glorification of Greek military power. The scenes take place in the camp of the defeated, in the palaces of Susa, and aim for the spatial dimension to grant the story a grandeur of mythical proportions. In this way, the painful experience of war is revived in the soul of the Persian people.

The queen (Atossa), mother of Xerxes, and the chorus of elderly Persian advisors learn of the news of the destruction at Salamis and the retreat through Thrace. The lament of the chorus and Atossa calls forth the apparition of Darius, who informs them that the defeat was the will of the gods and came as a punishment for the arrogance of the Persian people and their king.

The tragedy ends with the lament accompanying the arrival of Xerxes, the mad king who appears in torn clothes. The interest of the work is significant, particularly concerning its structure. The Persians, composed for only two actors, entrust the chorus with the prominent part of their main dramatic plot, while their static nature and the quite simple scenic decoration are characteristic.

These aforementioned elements have led scholars to recognize in the Persians a tragedy of archaic foundation, still tightly bound to the structure of primordial tragedy, where the choral odes had precedence over the dialogic parts, the heroes were imbued with a strict seriousness, and the chorus occupied the primary position.