Phrynichus (comic poet)

This article is about the comic poet. For other uses, see Phrynichus.

Phrynichus was a poet of the Old Attic comedy and a contemporary of Aristophanes. His first comedy was exhibited in 429 BC. He composed ten plays, of which the Solitary (Μονότροπος) was exhibited in 414 along with the Birds of Aristophanes and gained the third prize. The Muses carried off the second prize in 405, Aristophanes being first with the Frogs, in which he accuses Phrynichus of employing vulgar tricks to raise a laugh, of plagiarism and bad versification, and of lowbrow politics.

Surviving Titles and Fragments

The surviving fragments of his work may be found in Theodor Kock, Comicorum atticorum fragmenta (Teubner, 1880).

Ephialtes ("Ephialtes") Konnos Kronos ("Cronus") Komastai ("Revellers") Monotropos ("The Solitary")

Mousai ("The Muses") Mystai ("The Initiated Women") Poastriai ("Ladies Who Weed the Fields") Satyroi ("The Satyrs") Tragodoi ("Tragic Actors"), or Apeleutheroi ("Liberated Slaves")

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.