Life Nicostratus (Νικόστρατος) was an Athenian comic poet of the 4th century BCE, active during the period of Middle Comedy [2]. He was the son of the famed playwright Aristophanes and the brother of the comic poet Philetairus, a familial relationship confirmed by the 10th-century Byzantine encyclopedia, the Suda [1].

Works Ancient testimony credits Nicostratus with a substantial output of either 21 or 18 comedies [1], though his works survive only in fragments and cited titles. Examples of his lost plays include Antyllos, Aphrodisia, Hesione, and Pandrosus [3]. These fragments are preserved through quotations by later grammarians and authors [1].

Significance Nicostratus is a significant figure primarily for his lineage, illustrating the continuation of the comic tradition within a single family. As a practitioner of Middle Comedy, his work represents the transitional phase between the political satire of Old Comedy and the domestic, plot-driven New Comedy of Menander. His fragments contribute to scholarly understanding of the themes and evolution of Athenian comedy in the 4th century.

Sources 1. Suda, nu, 406 (via Perseus Digital Library): https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0054%3Aentry%3Dnikostratos 2. Encyclopædia Britannica, "Greek Literature: Middle Comedy": https://www.britannica.com/art/Greek-literature/Middle-Comedy 3. Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, "Nicostratus" (via Perseus): https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0104:entry=nicostratus-bio-2