A comic poet of Athens, mentioned by Quintilian and Horace as one of the three great masters of the old comedy, born in Attica in 519 B. C, died in 422. His private life was marked by irregularities and excesses. Suidas calls him the "wine-bibber," as Aristophanes and Horace had done before him. He was already far advanced in life before he entered upon his dramatic career. The "Archi-lochi," supposed to have been one of his earliest productions, was not exhibited till he was upward of 70 years of age; but he lived to achieve much for his profession, and at the advanced age of 97 died at the height of his fame, having just triumphed over Aristophanes himself. He found the Greek comedy a mere plaything, employed to excite merriment and laughter, and at once converted it into a terrible weapon for the chastisement of public and private vice. Horace particularly commends the public spirit and the impartial justice with which he exercised his censorship over the morals of his age. The uniform testimony of ancient writers places Cratinus in the first rank as a comic poet. His great rival, Aristophanes, was fully aware of his power.

In the "Knights" he compares him to a torrent carrying everything before it, and tells his fellow citizens that Cratinus was entitled to a high place in their regard, to a choice seat at the Dionysia, and to a public support in the Pryta-neum. About 30 plays are ascribed to him, but some of these probably belong to the younger Cratinus; according to the best authorities he wrote 24 dramas, 9 of which were successful in the Dionysiac contest. Not a single one of his dramas is now extant; only a few fragments remain to attest the excellence of his productions. II. A poet of the middle comedy, who flourished about 330 B. C. He is sometimes confounded with his more celebrated namesake. Four or five plays ascribed to him are considered authentic, besides which he probably wrote some of those wrongly ascribed to the elder Cratinus.