Strattis was an Athenian comic poet active in the late 5th and early 4th centuries BCE, during the period known as Old Comedy. He was a contemporary of the more famous Aristophanes. According to ancient records, he won first prize at the Lenaea festival, though the exact year of his victory is unknown.
He was a prolific playwright, with over forty play titles attributed to him by modern scholars. All of his works are lost, surviving only as fragments quoted by other ancient authors. Known titles include Callippides, Cinesias, and Phoenissae. His comedies often featured parody and personal satire. He was particularly known for mocking contemporary figures from other arts, especially tragic poets like Euripides, as well as actors and musicians.
Strattis is a significant figure for understanding the evolution of Greek comedy. His work represents the style of late Old Comedy, which was rich in literary parody and satire. According to scholars, his fragments provide valuable evidence for the themes and techniques of comedy as it began to transition toward the less politically aggressive style of the subsequent Middle Comedy period.
Available Works
Sources
- Academic Source (Uky (cs.uky.edu)) Accessed: 2026-01-26
- Oxford Research Encyclopedia Entry (Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics) Accessed: 2026-01-26