Philippides was an Athenian comic poet of the late 4th century BCE, active during the rise of New Comedy and a contemporary and rival of Menander [1][2]. The Suda identifies him as the son of Philokles from the deme of Kephale [1]. He was victorious at the City Dionysia at least once and enjoyed the patronage of Lysimachus, the Macedonian dynast [1][2].

Although the Suda credits him with 45 plays, only 18 titles and approximately 70 fragments survive [1][2]. Known titles include Adoniazousai ("The Women Celebrating the Adonia"), Gamos ("The Marriage"), Metoikoi ("The Resident Aliens"), Myrmex ("The Ant"), and Philadelphoi ("The Brother-Loving Men") [1][2].

Philippides provides a crucial link between Middle and New Comedy. His fragments offer valuable insights into the social themes and evolution of the genre in the late Classical period, while his patronage by Lysimachus illustrates the relationship between Hellenistic rulers and Athenian cultural figures [1][2].

Sources 1. Suda (Suda On Line): https://www.cs.uky.edu/~raphael/sol/sol-entries/phi/531 2. Perseus Digital Library, "Philippides" in Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology: https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aentry%3Dphilippides-bio-1