A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

(Βλαῖσος), an ancient Italian poet, born at Capreae, who wrote serio-comic plays (σπουδογέλοιοι) in Greek. (Steph. Byz. s. v. Καπριη.) Two of these plays, the Μεσοτρίβας and Σατοῦρνος, are quoted by Athenaeus (iii. p. 111c., xi. p. 487c.), and Hesychius refers to Blaesus (s. vv. Μοκκωνώσις, Μολγῷ, Φυλατός), but without mentioning the names of his plays. Casaubon supposed that Blaesus lived under the Roman empire; but he must have lived as early as the 3rd century B. C. as Valckenär (ad Theocr. p. 290a.) has shewn, that Athenaeus took his quotations of Blaesus from the Γλώσσαι of Pamphilus of Alexandria, who was a disciple of Aristarchus; and also that Pamphilus borrowed a part of his work explaining the words in Blaesus and similar poets from the Γλώσσαι Ἰταλικαί of Diodorus, who was a pupil of Aristophanes of Alexandria. (Comp. Schweigh. ad Athen. iii. p. 111c.)