Hegemon of Thasos (Ἡγέμων ὁ Θάσιος) was a Greek poet of the 5th century BCE, credited as the first to introduce literary parody to the Athenian stage. According to Athenaeus, he performed his parody The Battle of the Giants (Gigantomachia) at the Lenaean festival in Athens. This performance reportedly distracted the audience from news of the Sicilian Expedition disaster in 413 BCE, providing a key date for his activity [1]. Beyond this anecdote, no further biographical details survive.

His sole known work is The Battle of the Giants (Gigantomachia), a hexameter parody of epic subject matter. The work is lost and survives only through later references [1].

Hegemon holds a significant place in literary history as the pioneering practitioner of staged parody in Athens. His work represents a formal, humorous reworking of canonical epic material, marking a self-conscious engagement with the poetic tradition.

Sources 1. Perseus Digital Library (Tufts University): https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2013.01.0102%3Abook%13%3Achapter%3D9&highlight=Hegemon (Athenaeus, Deipnosophistae 15.698a-699b, referencing Hegemon's performance and invention of parody).