Origins & Early Life

Pratinas (; Ancient Greek: Πρατίνας) was one of the early tragic poets who flourished at Athens at the beginning of the fifth century BCE, and whose combined efforts were thought by critics to have brought the art to its perfection. He was a native of Phlius in Peloponnese, and was therefore by birth a Dorian. His father's name was Pyrrhonides or Encomius. It is not known at what time he went to Athens, but we find him exhibiting there, in competition with Choerilus and Aeschylus, around the 70th Olympiad, that is, 500–499 BCE, the year of Aeschylus's debut.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

The main innovation that ancient critics ascribed to Pratinas was the separation of the satyric from the tragic drama. Pratinas is frequently credited as having introduced satyr plays as a species of entertainment distinct from tragedy, in which the rustic merry-makings and the extravagant dances of the satyrs were retained. The change preserved a highly characteristic feature of the older form of tragedy, the entire rejection of which would have met with serious obstacles, not only from the popular taste, but from religious associations, and yet preserved it in such a manner as, while developing its own capabilities...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Gnaeus Marcius Coriolanus — Contemporary (Born in -600) (-600): A prominent, yet historically debated, Roman general of the 5th century BCE.
• Ajatashatru — Contemporary (Born in -500) (-500): Powerful King of Magadha, founder of a dominant empire in ancient India.
• Alcamenes — Contemporary (Born in -500) (-500): 5th-century BC Greek sculptor known for delicate finish, contemporary of Phidias.
• Amyrtaeus — Contemporary (Born in -500) (-500): Pharaoh of the Twenty-eighth Dynasty, ending the first Persian occupation of Egypt.
• Mahavira — Contemporary figure (Born in -599) (-599): 24th Tirthankara of Jainism; spiritual reformer from the 6th century BCE.
• Croesus — Contemporary figure (Born in -596) (-596): Last King of Lydia, famed for immense wealth and defeat by Cyrus the Great.
• Nabopolassar — Contemporary figure (Died in -605) (-605): Founder and first king of the powerful Neo-Babylonian Empire.
• Necho II — Contemporary figure (Died in -595) (-595): Pharaoh of the 26th Dynasty, known for ambitious military campaigns and construction.
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