About Polycrates
Lived 500 BC – 400 BC. Polycrates was a Greek writer.
Polycrates ( -370 B.C.) was a sophist from Athens, who later retired to the island of Cyprus.
He wrote a work titled The Indictment of Socrates, thought to have been written during the 390s BC. He wrote works about the Greek mythical characters Clytaemnestra, wife of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, and Busiris, a king of Egypt. He also wrote verses on cooking pots, mice, counters, pebbles and salt.
The poet Aeschrion of Samos claimed that Polycrates was the author of the sex manual traditionally attributed to Philaenis of Samos.
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Important facts
People in Polycrates's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Related people
Same field, nearest in time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Polycrates's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Polycrates?
Athenian sophist (late 5th-early 4th century BC)
When was Polycrates born?
Polycrates was born in 500 BC.
When did Polycrates die?
Polycrates died in 400 BC.
What was Polycrates's occupation?
Polycrates was a writer.
What nationality was Polycrates?
Polycrates was Greek.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Polycrates (sophist)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Polycrates. https://biography.guide/polycrates-writer/
MLA: "Polycrates." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/polycrates-writer/.
Chicago: "Polycrates." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/polycrates-writer/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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