Simylus the Comic Poet (Σίμυλος ὁ Κωμικός)

Life Simylus was a Greek comic poet active in the late fourth or early third century BCE, during the Hellenistic period. No biographical details about his life survive. He is considered a minor figure within the tradition of Middle or New Comedy, known only from a few fragments and testimonia [1][2].

Works His works are lost except for fragments. He is credited with at least one play, possibly titled Paideia (“Education”), though this is uncertain [2]. The most significant surviving fragment, preserved by Athenaeus, is a moralizing passage discussing the invention of crafts and critiquing the pursuit of wealth [1][2].

Significance Simylus represents the transitional phase of Greek comedy from political satire to social and domestic themes. His extant fragment exemplifies the moralizing tone characteristic of New Comedy. His obscurity highlights the vast number of comic poets whose works have not survived from antiquity.

Sources 1. Perseus Digital Library (Tufts University): https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0057:entry=si/mulos 2. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics (Oxford University Press): https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-5909