Carcinus the Younger (Καρκίνος ὁ νεώτερος ὁ Θορικιεύς)

Life Carcinus the Younger was an Athenian tragic poet from the deme of Thoricus, active in the 4th century BCE. He was the son of the tragedian Xenocles and grandson of Carcinus the Elder, forming part of a prominent dynasty of dramatists [1]. While his specific biography is unrecorded, ancient catalogs confirm his identity and lineage, placing his career in the later Classical period of Athenian theater.

Works No specific play titles survive. His works are lost and known only by reputation or through very few fragments [1].

Significance Carcinus the Younger exemplifies the continuation of tragedy within hereditary artistic families in 4th-century Athens. His documented existence in sources like the Suda helps map the professional network of tragic poets beyond the 5th-century masters, contributing to the understanding of the genre’s evolution [1].

Sources 1. Perseus Digital Library, "Carcinus" entry in the Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aentry%3Dcarcinus-bio-1