eul_aid: hrg
Ἀρχέδικος
Archedicus the Comic Poet
2 works

Archedicus was an Athenian comic poet of the 4th century BCE, active during the period of Middle Comedy. The 10th-century Byzantine encyclopedia, the Suda, identifies him as the son of Tryphiodorus and notes he was ridiculed by the contemporary comic poet Timocles, which firmly establishes his chronological context. No further biographical details survive.

The Suda credits Archedicus with two comedies: The Treasure and The Pregnant Woman. Both plays are now lost, and no fragments are extant. The same source mentions a third play, The Water-Carrier, but acknowledges uncertainty over whether its author was Archedicus or the poet Nicochares.

Archedicus is a minor figure, known only from catalog entries. His placement within Middle Comedy situates him in a key transitional phase of the genre between Old and New Comedy. His mention as a target of Timocles offers a minor point of evidence for the competitive nature of Athenian comic poetry, though the total loss of his work precludes any analysis of his specific style or themes.

Available Works

Ἀποσπάσματα
Miser's Dinner Party
26 passages
Ἀποσπάσματα
Miser's Dinner Party
25 passages