Apollophanes of Athens (Ἀπολλοφάνης ὁ Ἀθηναῖος)

Life Apollophanes was an Athenian comic poet active during the late 5th and early 4th centuries BCE, a contemporary of Aristophanes [2]. He won first prize at the Lenaean festival at least once [1]. No further biographical details survive.

Works Only fragments and titles of his comedies remain. Attested plays include Kretes ("The Cretans") and Deliades ("Women of Delos"), both surviving in fragments, and Kothornoi ("Buskins"), known only by title [1]. The Suda also mentions a Lemnomeda, which may be an error or variant title [2].

Significance As a minor poet of Old Comedy, Apollophanes’ fragments contribute to our understanding of the genre’s broader linguistic and thematic range beyond its major figures. His work aids in reconstructing the history of Athenian comic theatre during the Peloponnesian War and its aftermath [1].

Sources 1. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics: Apollophanes. https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-528 2. Suda Encyclopedia (via ToposText): Apollophanes. https://topostext.org/work/529#ap.2984