Leonteus of Argos
Ancient Greek tragedian
About Leonteus of Argos
Leonteus of Argos was a tragedy writer.
Leonteus of Argos was an actor or tragic poet of the 1st century BCE. He was the slave of king Juba I of Numidia, and a pupil of the actor or poet Athenion. It does not appear that he necessarily originated from Argos, but after he was manumitted by the king, he moved to Argos to practice the acting trade he had honed as Juba's slave.
The Greek grammarian Athenaeus preserves an epigram from the king in which he ridicules Leonteus for a terrible performance in a play based on the myth of Hypsipyle.
While some scholars describe both Athenion and Leonteus as "tragic poets", some scholars dispute this reading of the ancient texts and contend that both Athenion and his pupil were tragic actors only, and did not write plays.
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Important facts
Frequently asked questions
Who was Leonteus of Argos?
ancient Greek tragedian
What was Leonteus of Argos's occupation?
Leonteus of Argos was a tragedy writer.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Leonteus of Argos
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Leonteus of Argos. https://biography.guide/leonteus-of-argos/
MLA: "Leonteus of Argos." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/leonteus-of-argos/.
Chicago: "Leonteus of Argos." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/leonteus-of-argos/.
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