(Ἐπικράτης), of Ambracia, was an Athenian comie poet of the middle comedy, according to the testimony of Athenaeus (x. p. 422f.), confirmed by extant fragments of his plays, in which he ridicules Plato and his disciples, Spensippus and Menedemus, and in which lie refers to the courtezan Lais, as being now far advanced in years. (Athen. 2.59d., xiii. p. 570b.) From these indications Meineke infers that he flourished between the 101st and 108th Olympiads (B. C. 376-348). Two plays of Epicrates, Ἔμπορος and Ἀντιλαΐς are mentioned by Suidas (s. v.), and are quoted by Athenaeus (xiv. p. 655f., xiii. pp. 570, b., 605, e.), who also quotes his (x. p. 422f.) and Δύσπρατος (vi. p. 262d.), and informs us that in the latter play Epicrates copied some things from the Δύσπρατος of Antiphanes. Aelian (Ael. NA 12.10) quotes the Χορός of Epicrates. We have also one long fragment (Athen. 2.59c.) and two shorter ones (Athen. 11.782f.; Pollux, 4.121) from his unknown plays. (Meineke, Frag. Com. Graec. vol. i. pp. 414, 415, vol. iii. pp. 365-373; Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. ii. pp. 440, 441.)