<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Commonplace Fun Facts]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[http://commonplacefacts.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[Commonplace Fun Facts]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://commonplacefacts.com/author/mthompson9691/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[The Author of Tragedies Was the Victim of&nbsp;One]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img data-attachment-id="10915" data-permalink="https://commonplacefacts.com/aeschylus-death/" data-orig-file="https://commonplacefacts.files.wordpress.com/2019/02/aeschylus-death.jpg" data-orig-size="1959,1328" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}" data-image-title="Aeschylus death" data-image-description="&lt;p&gt;Aeschylus was killed when an eagle mistook his head for a rock and dropped a tortoise on it.&lt;/p&gt;
" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://commonplacefacts.files.wordpress.com/2019/02/aeschylus-death.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://commonplacefacts.files.wordpress.com/2019/02/aeschylus-death.jpg?w=1024" src="https://commonplacefacts.files.wordpress.com/2019/02/aeschylus-death.jpg?w=1024" alt="Aeschylus death" class="wp-image-10915" srcset="https://commonplacefacts.files.wordpress.com/2019/02/aeschylus-death.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://commonplacefacts.files.wordpress.com/2019/02/aeschylus-death.jpg?w=150 150w, https://commonplacefacts.files.wordpress.com/2019/02/aeschylus-death.jpg?w=300 300w, https://commonplacefacts.files.wordpress.com/2019/02/aeschylus-death.jpg?w=768 768w, https://commonplacefacts.files.wordpress.com/2019/02/aeschylus-death.jpg 1959w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>



<p>Aeschylus, the great Athenian author of tragedies, died in 455 BC. He was killed when an eagle mistook his head for a rock and tried to crack a tortoise&#8217;s shell by dropping it on the shiny object below.</p>



<p>Pliny, in his <i>Naturalis Historiæ</i>, adds that Aeschylus had been staying outdoors to avert a prophecy that he would be killed by a falling object.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-rounded"><figure class="aligncenter size-medium"><img data-attachment-id="20809" data-permalink="https://commonplacefacts.com/2014/11/12/the-author-of-tragedies-was-the-victim-of-one/img_3332-2/" data-orig-file="https://commonplacefacts.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/img_3332.jpg" data-orig-size="737,1167" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}" data-image-title="img_3332" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://commonplacefacts.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/img_3332.jpg?w=189" data-large-file="https://commonplacefacts.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/img_3332.jpg?w=647" src="https://commonplacefacts.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/img_3332.jpg?w=189" alt="" class="wp-image-20809" srcset="https://commonplacefacts.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/img_3332.jpg?w=189 189w, https://commonplacefacts.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/img_3332.jpg?w=378 378w, https://commonplacefacts.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/img_3332.jpg?w=95 95w" sizes="(max-width: 189px) 100vw, 189px" /><figcaption><em>The death of Aeschylus illustrated in the 15th century Florentine Picture Chronicle by Maso Finiguerra.</em></figcaption></figure></div>



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<p>Read about more <a href="https://commonplacefacts.wordpress.com/category/strange-deaths/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">strange deaths</a>.</p>



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