Callias

(Καλλίας), literary.

1. A comic poet, was according to Suidas (s. v.) a son of Lysimachus, and bore the name of Schoenion because his father was a rope or basket maker (σχοινοπλόκος). He belonged to the old Attic comedy, for Athenaeus (x. p. 453) states, that he lived shortly before Strattis, who appears to have commenced his career as a comic poet about B. C. 412. From the Scholiast on Aristophanes (Aristoph. Kn. 526) we further learn, that Callias was an emulator of Cratinus. It is, therefore, probable that he began to come before the public prior to B. C. 424; and if it could be proved that he was the same person as Calliades [CALLIADES], he would have lived at least till B. C. 402. We still possess a few fragments of his comedies, and the names of six are preserved in Suidas, viz. Αἰγύπτιος, Ἀταλάντη (Zenob. 4.7), Κύκλωπες (perhaps alluded to by Athen. 2.57, and Clem. Alex. Strom. vi. p. 264), Πεδῆται (Athen. 8.344; Schol. ad Aristoph. Av. 31, 151; D. L. 2.18), Βάτραχοι, and Σχολάξοντες. Whether he is the same as the Callias whom Athenaeus (vii. p. 672, x. pp. 448, 453) calls the author of a γραμματικὴ τραγῳδία, is uncertain. (Comp. Athen. iv. pp. 140, 176, vii. p. 300, xii. pp. 524, 667; Pollux, 7.113; Etymol. M. s. v. Εἶναι; Meineke, Hist. Crit. Com. Gr. p. 213, &c.)