Person

Phrynichus (tragic poet)

fl. c. 511–476 BCE · 5th century BCE

Phrynichus was an Athenian tragic poet of the generation before Aeschylus, said to have been the first to put female characters on stage. His play The Capture of Miletus, on the Persian sack of 494 BCE, so distressed Athenian audiences that he was fined. His Phoenician Women of 476 BCE, produced with Themistocles as sponsor, celebrated the victory at Salamis. Only fragments of his work survive.

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APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Phrynichus (tragic poet). In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/phrynichus-tragic-poet
MLA
“Phrynichus (tragic poet).” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/phrynichus-tragic-poet. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Phrynichus (tragic poet).” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/phrynichus-tragic-poet.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Phrynichus (tragic poet)’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/phrynichus-tragic-poet (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻