Stephanus was an Athenian comic poet who lived during the Hellenistic period, likely in the 4th and 3rd centuries BCE. This was a time of transition in Greek comedy, moving from the political satire of earlier periods toward the domestic and romantic plots of New Comedy. No personal details of his life are known.

He is credited with two comedies, known only by their titles and a handful of surviving fragments: Philargyros ("The Money-Lover" or "The Miser") and Philopator ("The Father-Lover"). No complete play survives. The titles suggest his works dealt with common New Comedy themes, focusing on character types defined by a dominant trait, such as greed or familial love.

Stephanus represents the many comic playwrights from this era whose works are almost entirely lost. His inclusion in ancient lists of poets confirms he was part of the active theatrical culture of his time. According to modern scholars, studying fragmentary authors like Stephanus helps illustrate the broad range of themes and styles in post-Aristophanic comedy, even beyond the more famous figures like Menander. His fragments also contributed to the study of comic language by ancient grammarians.