Epicrates of Ambracia


Epicrates of Ambracia, was an Ambraciote who lived in Athens, a comic poet of the Middle Comedy, according to the testimony of Athenaeus. This is confirmed by extant fragments of his plays, in which he ridicules Plato and his disciples, Speusippus and Menedemus, and in which he refers to the courtesan Lais of Corinth, as being now far advanced in years. From these indications, Augustus Meineke infers that he flourished between the 101st and 108th Olympiads.

Surviving Titles and Fragments

Two plays of Epicrates, Emporos and Antilais, are mentioned by Suidas, and are quoted by Athenaeus, who also quotes his Amazones and Dyspratos , and informs us that in the latter play Epicrates copied some things from the Dyspratos of Antiphanes. Aelian quotes another play by Epicrates titled Choros.