Final answer:
Sophocles, an influential ancient Greek playwright, lived from 496 BCE to 406 BCE and is best known for his significant contributions to drama through plays like Oedipus Rex and Antigone.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sophocles was a renowned ancient Greek playwright who lived from 496 BCE to 406 BCE. He was a younger contemporary of Aeschylus and a predecessor to Euripides, forming a trio of influential tragedians whose works have significantly shaped ancient Greek drama. Sophocles is best known for dramatic innovations such as increasing the number of chorus members from twelve to fifteen and introducing the third actor, allowing for more dynamic and complex storytelling. His contributions to the genre resulted in masterpieces like Oedipus Rex and Antigone.
Sophocles was prolific in his output, believed to have written between ninety to one hundred and twenty-three plays, though only seven have survived to the modern era. He was a highly decorated playwright, said to have competed in the City Dionysia about thirty times and won twenty-four times, which was an extraordinary achievement in the cultural landscape of ancient Athens.