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Son of Demophanes -- though others [say] of Stephanos -- and, as his mother, Oinoe; a Kian, though some [say] a Smyrnaian, and according to Dionysius a Rhodian; a comic poet of the middle comedy, [born] from slaves as some [say]. He was born in the 93rd Olympiad[1] and he wrote 365 comedies, though others [say] 280; he won 13 victories. He had a son Stephanos who was himself a comic poet. He died in Kios when he was 74 years old,[2] having by some chance been hit by a pear.[3]

Antiphanês, Dêmophanous, hoi de Stephanou kai mêtros Oinoês, Kianos, hôs de tines Smurnaios, kata de Dionusion Rhodios: kômikos tês mesês kômôidias, apo doulôn hôs tines. gegone de kata tên #4g# Olumpiada kai egrapse kômôidias txe#, hoi de sp#: nikas de heile ig#. paida te esche Stephanon kai auton kômikon. teleutai de en Kiôi od# etôn huparchôn kata tina tuchên apiôi blêtheis.

See generally OCD(4) p.108; Kassel-Austin, PCG 2.312ff.
[1] 408-405. Since one of the plays attributed to him (Kassel/Austin, PCG 2.312ff.) has an allusion to King Seleukos (I), and therefore can hardly be earlier than 306, some scholars have emended this birth-date (which is also found elsewhere) to a much later one. The orthodox solution, however, has been to postulate two comic poets of this name, the earlier one the more significant. For discussion and doxography see M.J. Osborne, Naturalization in Athens, vols.3-4 (Brussels 1983) 77-78.
[2] On orthodox assumptions (see the preceding note), 333-330.
[3] cf. alpha 3197.

David Whitehead (modified translation; added notes and bibliography) on 24 December 2000@11:07:16.
David Whitehead (added keywords; restorative and other cosmetics) on 15 August 2002@05:39:20.
Elizabeth Vandiver (Added italics; cosmetics) on 1 October 2005@17:10:08.
David Whitehead (augmented notes and keywords; tweaks and cosmetics) on 19 March 2012@06:04:04.
David Whitehead on 25 July 2015@10:08:27.

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