Xenocles (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Ξενοκλῆς) was an ancient Greek tragedian. He won a victory at the Dionysia in 415 BC with the plays Oedipus, Lycaon, and Bacchae with the satyr play Athamas.[1] Other plays by Xenocles include Licymnius, parodied by Aristophanes in The Clouds,[2] and perhaps Myes.[1] Aristophanes also refers negatively to Xenocles in the Thesmophoriazusae and Frogs.[2]
Xenocles was the son of Carcinus the Elder and father of Carcinus the Younger, both also tragic playwrights.[3] He had at least two brothers were also tragic poets or actors. Ancient sources differ on whether Xenocles was one of three or four brothers,[4] and name them variously as Xenotimus, Xenarchus, Demotimus, Xenocleitus, and Datis.[3] Datis, quoted by Aristophanes in Peace,[3] may have been a nickname for Xenocles.[5]