DIPHILUS

A poet of the new Attic comedy, a native of Sinope, and contemporary of Menander. He is supposed to have written some 100 pieces, of which we have the titles and fragments of about 50. The Casina and Rudens of Plautus are modelled on two of Diphilus' plays; and Terence has adopted some scenes from one of them in his Adelphi. Diphilus took his subjects both from common life and from mythology. Both the judgments passed on him in antiquity, and his remaining fragments, justify us in recognising him as one of the most gifted poets of his age.