a Greek comic poet, was contemporary with Plato and Aristophanes. After the example of the ancient comedians, who never introduced upon the theatre imaginary but living characters, he acted his contemporaries. But he did not abuse the liberty which at that time prevailed upon the stage; and laid it down as a rule to himself never to destroy the reputation of any person. Twenty-one comedies are attributed to him, of which there now only remain some fragments collected by Hertelius and Grotius. From these fragments, however, it is easy to discern, that Pherecrates wrote the purest Greek, and professed that ingenious and delicate raillery which is called attic urbanity. He was author of a kind of verse called, from his own name, Pherecratick. The three last feet were in hexameter verse, and the first of those three feet was always a spondee. This verse of Horace (for example, Quamvis ponticus pinus) is a Pherecratick verse. We find in Plutarch a fragment of this poet upon the music of the Greeks, which has been critically examined by M. Burette of the academy of inscriptions. See the 15th volume of the collection published by that learned society.