Choerilus (playwright)

Choerilus was the name of at least three Greek poets, most notably a tragedian of Athens who flourished in the late 6th and early 5th centuries BC. He was a contemporary of Aeschylus, Pratinas, and Phrynichus, and is considered one of the earliest tragedians.

Little is known about Choerilus's life. The Suda, a 10th-century Byzantine encyclopedia, states that he competed in dramatic contests from the 60th Olympiad (540-537 BC) and composed 150 tragedies, of which thirteen were victorious. However, the accuracy of these figures is debated by scholars. He is credited with introducing improvements to theatrical masks and costumes.

Fragments of his works are extremely scarce. The most significant is a single line preserved by Aristotle in his Poetics, which may suggest a preference for complex plots: "And now, when all is in confusion, Choerilus has cleared the matter up." This tantalizingly brief remnant offers a glimpse into his dramatic style.

Beyond the tragedian, two other poets named Choerilus are known: one from Samos who wrote an epic poem, The Capture of Oechalia, and another from Iasus in Caria who accompanied Alexander the Great as a court poet. These other individuals should not be confused with the Athenian tragedian, who is the subject of this entry.