Phaedra, the second wife of Theseus, passionately falls in love with her stepson Hippolytus, the son of the Athenian hero, but tries to hide it. However, when Hippolytus learns of her feelings, he rejects his stepmother's affections, which leads her to commit suicide, leaving a letter accusing him of having violated her honor. Theseus curses his son, who dies. Artemis reveals the truth to Theseus, who mourns.

Euripides (480-406 BC) was from the Athenian deme of Phlya. He attended the teachings of Anaxagoras, Protagoras, and Hippias, and was friends with Socrates. He first participated in a dramatic contest in 455 and subsequently taught regularly until his death. A rather introverted and severe man, he was not fortunate in his personal life. In his later years, he settled in Macedonia, invited by King Archelaus, where he died.

His work reflects the atmosphere of the time, with the strong influence of sophistry, questioning, and the search for the divine and the human. Euripides, the 'philosopher from the stage,' depicted the tragedy of internal conflicts and uniquely conveyed the variety of emotional passions and fluctuations of consciousness. His innovations, in the form of his works and the ideas he expressed, often made him a target for attacks. Nineteen of his plays are preserved in full, and many excerpts exist.