Ameipsias

Ameipsias(Ancient Greek:Ἀμειψίας,fl.late 5th century BC) of Athens was anAncient Greekcomic poet, a contemporary ofAristophanes,whom he twice bested in the dramatic contests. HisKonnos(Κόννος) gained a second prize at theCity Dionysiain 423, when Aristophanes won the third prize withThe Clouds.

Konnosappears to have had the same subject and aim asClouds.It is at least certain that Socrates appeared in the play, and that the Chorus consisted ofΦροντισταί.Aristophanes alludes to Ameipsias inThe Frogs,and we are told in the anonymous life of Aristophanes, that when Aristophanes first exhibited his plays under the names of other poets, Ameipsias applied to him the Greek proverbτετράδι γεγονώς,which means "a person who labours for others," an allusion toHeracles,who was born on the fourth of the month.

Works

Ameipsias wrote many comedies, out of which there remain only a few fragments of the following six plays:

• Ἀποκοτταβίζοντες(Men PlayingKottabos)
• Κατεσθίων(although this attribution is considered doubtful by many scholars)
• Κόννος(423 BC)
• Μοιχοί(Adulterers)
• Σαπφώ(Sappho)
• Σφενδόνη(The Sling)

We also know he wrote other plays, although their names are now lost. Most of his plays were of theOld Comedy,but some, in all probability, were of theMiddleComedy.

References

This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Smith, William,ed. (1870). "Ameipsias".Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.