Life Ephippus of Athens (Ἔφιππος ὁ Ἀθηναῖος) was a comic poet of the 4th century BCE, active during the period of Middle Comedy. He was a contemporary of playwrights like Antiphanes and Alexis, and his works were produced at the major Athenian festivals [1]. No further biographical details survive.

Works His comedies survive only in fragments. The Suda attributes two plays to him, Artemis and Geryones [1]. Other sources, including Athenaeus, preserve additional titles such as Bousiris, Hebe’s Wedding, Nauagos (The Shipwreck), and Obeliaphoroi (The Bread-Carriers) [2].

Significance Ephippus is a representative figure of Middle Comedy, which transitioned from the political satire of Old Comedy toward the domestic plots of New Comedy. His fragments, preserved by authors like Athenaeus, provide valuable insights into the period’s social customs, mythological parody, and comic evolution [1][2].

Sources 1. Encyclopædia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ephippus 2. Perseus Digital Library, Catalog of Art and Archaeology: https://catalog.perseus.org/catalog/urn:cite:perseus:author.364