Biography
Other info : Bibliography
Ion of Chios (c. 490/480 - c. 420 BC) was a Greek writer, dramatist, lyric poet and philosopher. He was a contemporary of Aeschylus, Euripides and Sophocles. Of his many plays and poems only a few titles and fragments have survived. He also wrote some prose works, including a Pythagorean text, the Triagmos, of which a few fragments survive.
He was the son of Orthomenes, and was surnamed the son of Xuthus: probably a nickname alluding to Xuthus, the father of the mythical Ion.[1] When very young he went to Athens, where he enjoyed the society of Cimon, of whom he left laudatory notices in some of his works which are quoted by Plutarch.[2] Plutarch informs us that Ion severely criticised Pericles,[3] who is said to have been his rival in love.[4] Ion was familiarly acquainted with Aeschylus, if we may believe an anecdote related by Plutarch,[5] but he did not come forward as a tragedian till after Aeschylus' death. We also learn from Ion himself[6] that he met Sophocles at Chios, when the latter was commander of the expedition against Samos, 440 BC.
His first tragedy was brought out in the 82nd Olympiad (452 BC); he is mentioned as third in competition with Euripides and Iophon, in Olympiad 87.4 (429-8 BC); and he died before 421 BC, as appears from the Peace of Aristophanes,[7] which was brought out in that year. Only one victory of Ion's is mentioned, on which occasion, it is said, having gained the dithyrambic and tragic prizes at the same time, he presented every Athenian with a pitcher of Chian wine.[8] Hence it would seem that he was a man of considerable wealth. He is mentioned by Strabo among the celebrated men of Chios.[9]
