PHILEMON (c. 361–263 B.C.)  , Greek poet of the New Comedy, was born at Soli in Cilicia, or at Syracuse . He settled at Athens early in life, and his first play was produced in 330 . He was a contemporary and rival of Menander, whom he frequently vanquished in poetical contests . Posterity reversed the verdict and attributed Philemon's successes to unfair influence . He made a journey to the east, and resided at the court of Ptolemy, king of Egypt, for some time . Plutarch (De Cohibenda Ira, 9) relates that on his journey he was driven by a storm to Cyrene, and fell into the hands of its king Magas, whom he had formerly satirized . Magas treated him with contempt, and finally dismissed him with a present of toys . Various accounts of his death are given; a violent outburst of laughter, excess of joy at a dramatic victory, or a peaceful end while engaged in composing his last work (Apuleius, Florida, 16; Lucian, Macrob . 25; Plutarch, An Seni, p . 725) . Of the ninety-seven plays which he is said to have composed, the titles of fifty-seven and considerable fragments have been preserved . Some of these may have been the work of his son, the younger Philemon, who is said to have composed fifty-four comedies .

The

Merchant and The Treasure of Philemon were the originals respectively of the Mercator and Trinummus of Plautus . The fragments preserved by Stobaeus, Athenaeus and other writers contain much wit and good sense . Quintilian (Instil. x . 1, 72) assigned the second place among the poets of the New Comedy christl . Behandlung sozialer Fragen (1896), as well as in Dr A . H. to Philemon, and Apuleius, who had a high opinion of him, has drawn a comparison between him and Menander . See A . Meineke, Menandri et Philemonis reliquiae (1823, including Bentley's emendations); T . Kock, Comicorum graecorum fragmenta, vol. iii . (1884) .