The Codrus Painter was an Attic red-figure vase painter active, approximately, between 445 and 430 BC. His conventional name comes from the British archaeologist John Beazley, who took it from a kylix in Bologna showing King Codrus, the last king of Athens, setting out for battle. He painted almost exclusively kylikes, mostly of type B, probably to meet demand from the Etruscan market.
His favourite subjects were Attic heroes and myths, Dionysian scenes, athletes, youths and warriors. His athletic scenes stand out, such as a wrestler knocking down his opponent on a London cup, or athletes grabbing each other by the hair outside the arena. He also painted a feast in which Hades and Persephone occupy a place of honour among pairs of gods, and Athenian myths such as the birth of Erichthonius.
His emphasis on Athenian themes makes him a significant forerunner of the Midias Painter, active at the end of the 5th century BC.