Hegesippos the Comic Poet (Ἡγήσιππος ὁ κωμικός)

Life Hegesippos was an Athenian comic poet active in the 3rd century BCE during the Hellenistic period. His victory in comedy at the City Dionysia, recorded in a mid-3rd century BCE inscription, confirms his contemporary success [1]. The Suda mentions a comic poet of this name but offers no biography [2], and a possible reference appears in Athenaeus’s Deipnosophistae [3]. No further details of his life are known.

Works Only two play titles are attested. Philetaerus (Φιλέταιρος) is recorded on the victor’s inscription from the City Dionysia [1]. Adelphoi (Ἀδελφοί, "The Brothers") is mentioned by Athenaeus, though its attribution to this Hegesippos is not certain [3]. Both comedies are lost, and no fragments survive.

Significance Hegesippos represents the sparsely documented era of post-Menandrian comedy. His Dionysian victory demonstrates that Athens remained a vital center for comic production in the Hellenistic age. The title Philetaerus suggests his work may have engaged with contemporary political figures, such as the founder of the Attalid dynasty.

Sources 1. Perseus Digital Library (Inscription): https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0004%3Aentry%3Dhegesippus-2 2. Suda Online (ToposText): https://topostext.org/work/529#h.1656 3. Athenaeus, Deipnosophistae (Perseus Digital Library): https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Ath.+7.&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2013.01.0002