Life Araros (Ἀραρὼς ὁ τοῦ Ἀριστοφάνους) was an Athenian comic poet of the 4th century BCE, the son of the playwright Aristophanes. The Suda lexicon records that he was from the deme of Kydathenaion, produced his first comedy, Kaineus, in 375 BCE, and later staged two of his father’s posthumous plays, Kokalos and Aiolosikon [1]. Beyond these details, his biography is not elaborated in surviving sources.

Works Ancient sources name two of his original comedies: Kaineus and Hymenaios, the latter being cited by Athenaeus [1, 2]. All his works are lost, surviving only in fragments and titles. While he produced Aristophanes' final plays, these are not counted among his own compositions.

Significance Araros’s primary importance stems from his familial link to Aristophanes, positioning him as a bridge between Old Comedy and the emerging Middle Comedy. His production of his father’s posthumous work indicates he managed the literary estate. The scant fragments, like that from Hymenaios on matrimonial themes, align with the evolving subjects of 4th-century comedy [2].

Sources 1. Suda Lexicon, Alpha 3739 (Suda On Line): https://www.cs.uky.edu/~raphael/sol/sol-entries/alpha/3739 2. Athenaeus, Deipnosophistae, 14.645a (Perseus Digital Library): https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2013.01.0002%3Abook%3D14%3Apage%3D645