Antiphanes

▪ Greek writer

born c. 408–404 BC, Chios [Greek island near modern Turkey] or Rhodes [Greece] or Smyrna [now İzmir, Tur.]

died c. 334–330 BC, Chios

      prolific and influential Greek writer of Middle Comedy, which succeeded Old Comedy (known from the 5th-century plays of Aristophanes).

      Antiphanes, son of Demophanes (or of Stephanus), began producing comedies at Athens in the second half of the 380s BC. In the festival contests Antiphanes won 13 victories, of which 8 were awarded at the small Lenaea festival held in January and 5 at the more impressive Great Dionysia, held in late March. Although he died in Chios, he was buried in Athens, the site of his literary triumphs.

      Ancient sources attribute to him variously 260 to 365 plays, none of which has survived. He was often quoted by later writers, who preserve more than 330 fragments from plays with 134 titles. An analysis of the fragments and titles shows that the themes of his plays included mythological farce (e.g., Minos and Cyclops), stories about hetairai, highly cultivated courtesans (e.g., Malthace and Melitta), everyday occupations (e.g., Kithara-Player and Doctor), family affairs (e.g., Sisters and Ancestors), and social relations (e.g., Resident Alien and Lover of Thebes). A long fragment of the comedy Poiesis is important for its exposition of the differences between comedy and tragedy. According to this passage, writers of comedy have the more difficult task, since they must invent names and plots for each play, while the tragic poet writes about well-known myths.

      The Athenian scholar and politician Demetrius Of Phaleron composed About Antiphanes, and Dorotheus of Ascalon, a grammarian of the early Roman Empire (1st century AD), also wrote about him. Athenaeus (late 2nd century AD), whose work is the source for many fragments of Antiphanes, praised him for his graceful style.

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