Pratinas of Phlius (Πρατίνας ὁ Φλιάσιος) Life Pratinas was a Greek poet from Phlius active in Athens around 500 BCE, a contemporary and rival of the tragedian Aeschylus [1]. Ancient sources place him at early Athenian dramatic competitions and credit him, though controversially, with being the first to produce satyr plays [1]. He was the father of the dramatist Aristias. A notable anecdote describes a collapse of wooden theater benches during a performance, an event later anachronistically linked to the Persian invasion of 480 BCE and possibly associated with the relocation of the dramatic contests to the sanctuary of Dionysus [1][2].

Works Pratinas was known primarily for satyr plays; the Suda credits him with 50 plays, 32 of which were satyric dramas [1]. Only one title survives with certainty: Palaistai or Dymainai (The Wrestlers or The Men of Dyme) [1]. A significant fragment of a hyporcheme (a choral song with dance) attributed to him survives, featuring a chorus of satyrs protesting the dominance of the aulos (pipe) and asserting the primacy of words and song [1][3]. Scholars debate whether this fragment comes from a satyr play or was a standalone composition [1].

Significance Pratinas holds a critical but obscure place in early Greek drama as a pioneer of the satyr play genre. His surviving hyporcheme fragment provides rare insight into early choral performance, Doric poetic tradition, and contemporary aesthetic debates about music and poetry [1][3]. His influence extended through his son, Aristias, who continued producing his plays in the 5th century BCE [1].

Sources 1. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics: Pratinas (Oxford University Press): https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-5302 2. Perseus Digital Library, Athenaeus, Deipnosophistae 14.617 (Tufts University): http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2013.01.0002%3Abook%3D14%3Achapter%3D39 3. The Center for Hellenic Studies, Harvard University: https://chs.harvard.edu/primary-source/pratinas-fragments-sy/