Cratinus the Younger (Κρατῖνος ὁ Νεώτερος)

Life Cratinus the Younger was an Athenian comic poet of the 4th century BCE, active during the period of Middle Comedy. He is distinguished from the famous 5th-century poet Cratinus (the Elder) by the epithet "the Younger." Beyond his existence and profession, no secure biographical details survive [1].

Works Only two plays are attributed to him, both lost and known only through fragments: The False Heracles (Ψευδηρακλῆς) and The Busybody or The Meddler (Πολυπράγμων) [1].

Significance He is a minor but clarifying figure in the history of Greek comedy. His work represents the transitional Middle Comedy of the 4th century, situated between the political Old Comedy of the 5th century and the later social New Comedy. The scant fragments provide limited evidence for the themes of this less-documented period [1].

Sources 1. Suda On Line (The Stoa Consortium): https://www.cs.uky.edu/~raphael/sol/sol-entries/kappa/2330 (Entry for Κρατῖνος, distinguishing between the elder and younger poets and listing the two plays.)