Ancient Greek bronze tragic mask dated to mid 4th century BC. Probably a votive offering, the scheme of the hair suggests an attribution to the sculptor Sitanion. Greek tragedies are plays in which the protagonist, usually a person of importance and outstanding personal qualities, falls to disaster through the combination of a personal failing and circumstances with which he or she cannot deal. Tragic plots were most often based upon myths from the oral traditions of archaic epics. In tragic theatre, however, these narratives were presented by actors. The most acclaimed Greek tragedians are Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides.