Sosiphanes of Syracuse (Σωσιφάνης ὁ Συρακούσιος) was a tragic poet of the 4th century BCE, a contemporary of the Athenian dramatists Astydamas and Aphareus [1]. The Byzantine Suda encyclopedia records that he lived 90 years, composed 73 tragedies, and won seven victories [1]. He exemplifies the vibrant tradition of tragic poetry in the Greek West, particularly Sicily, a region also associated with Aeschylus and Epicharmus [2].

His substantial body of work is almost entirely lost. The Suda notes one title, Meleager, and a single moralizing line—“For every fool is a fool to his own destruction”—is preserved by Stobaeus [1].

Sosiphanes signifies the geographical diffusion and continued vitality of tragic drama beyond Athens in the Classical and early Hellenistic periods. His documented productivity confirms he was a notable figure in his era, though the near-total loss of his texts relegates him to a minor status in the modern canon [1].

Sources 1. Suda Encyclopedia (Suda On Line): https://www.cs.uky.edu/~raphael/sol/sol-entries/sigma/845 2. Encyclopædia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/art/tragedy-literature/The-range-of-Tragedy-in-the-Classical-period