Antagoras of Rhodes, Greek epic poet who flourished about the year 270 BC. He was a friend of Antigonus Gonatas and a contemporary of Aratus. (Paus. i. 2. § 3 ; Plut. Apophth. p. 182, E, Sympos. iv. p. 668, c.) He is said to have been, very fond of good living, respecting which Plutarch and Athenaeus (viii. p. 340, &c.) relate some facetious anecdotes. Antagoras wrote an epic poem entitled Thebais (Thebais, Vila Arati, pp. 444, 446, ed. Buhle.) This poem he is said to have read to the Boeotians, to whom it appeared so tedious that they could not abstain from yawning. (Apostol. Proverb. Cent. v. 82 ; Maxim. Confess, ii. p. 580, ed. Combefisius.) He also composed some epigrams of which speci mens are still extant. (Diog. Laert, iy, 26; Anthol. Graec. ix. 147.)

One day as he was cooking some fish, the king asked him whether Homer ever dressed any meals when he was recording the actions of Agamemnon. "And do you think," replied the poet, "that he, with all his cares, to whom the peoples were entrusted, ever asked whether any man dressed fish in his army ?"

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Antagoras the poet was boiling a conger, and Antigonus, coming behind him as he was stirring his skillet, said, “Do you think, Antagoras, that Homer boiled congers when he wrote the deeds of Agamemnon?” Antagoras replied, “Do you think, O king, that Agamemnon, when he did such exploits, was a peeping in his army to see who boiled congers?”

Plutarch., Apophthegms of Kings and Great Commanders