Menander was born in Athens in 342 BC and drowned in Piraeus in c. 290 BC. He wrote more than 100 comedies, but with regards to his character studies, he can be regarded as an heir to the tragedian Euripides. Only one of his comedies has been handed down as a complete play, namely Dyskolos (The Grouch), while others are almost complete. Menander was furthermore a model for the Roman comedians Plautus and Terence and thus for a later European comedy tradition. He associated with the intellectuals of his time, such as Aristotle's pupil Theophrastus, the philosopher Epicurus, and the politician and philosopher Demetrius of Phaleron.

Translated with commentary by: Otto Foss