The play "Oedipus Rex" was written by the ancient Greek tragedian Sophocles. It is also known by its Greek title "Oedipus Tyrannus" or "Oedipus the King." The play was first performed around 429 BCE and is considered a pinnacle of classical Greek tragedy. Sophocles was a renowned playwright of the 5th century BCE and wrote more than 120 plays, of which only seven have survived, including "Oedipus Rex".