Pherecrates was an Athenian comic poet active in the latter half of the 5th century BCE, during the Classical period of Old Comedy. He was a contemporary and rival of famous playwrights like Aristophanes. His career began with a victory at the City Dionysia festival in 437 BCE, and he was still active into the early 4th century BCE. The exact dates of his birth and death are unknown.

He was a prolific writer, credited by ancient sources with between 17 and 24 plays. However, none of his works survive complete. They are known only through fragments quoted by later authors. His known play titles include The Savages, Chiron, and The Miners, which dealt with themes ranging from social satire and mythological parody to utopian fantasy.

Pherecrates was a significant and innovative figure. Ancient scholars included him among the five great poets of Old Comedy. According to modern scholars, his work provides important evidence for cultural debates of his time. A famous fragment from his play Chiron features a personified Music complaining about contemporary composers, which is a crucial source for understanding musical innovations in late 5th-century Athens. His play The Savages, depicting a primitive utopia, is seen as an influence on later utopian literature. While less of his politically charged satire survives compared to Aristophanes, his comedies addressed social manners and intellectual trends, contributing to the development of comic theater.