<DIV><P>Since it was first performed in Athens in the 420s BC, <I>Oedipus the King </I>has been widely regarded as Sophocles' greatest tragedy and one of the foundation stones of western drama. Taken as a model by Aristotle in his <I>Poetics</I>, it became a yardstick for future generations. Since the play's rediscovery in the Renaissance, audiences - including Sigmund Freud - have found new interpretations and meanings in Sophocles' portrayal of the Theban king, inexorably pursuing the truth, only to discover that he has killed his father and married his mother. </P><br><P>This translation by Don Taylor, accurate yet poetic, was made for a BBC TV production of the Theban Plays in 1986, which he also directed. Commentary and notes by Angie Varakis.</P></DIV>