eul_aid: hbw
Ἀναξανδρίδης ὁ κωμικός
Anaxandrides Comicus
2 works

Anaxandrides was a Greek comic playwright active in Athens during the 4th century BCE, a period known as Middle Comedy. Originally from the island of Rhodes, he was granted Athenian citizenship. Ancient records indicate he began producing plays around 368 BCE and won ten victories at Athenian dramatic festivals.

He was a prolific author, though his works survive only in fragments and titles quoted by later writers. According to ancient sources, he wrote dozens of comedies. Known titles include Hērōs (a prize-winning play), Samia, and Tereus, which often dealt with mythology, social types, and domestic situations.

Anaxandrides is a significant figure in the history of comedy. His career illustrates the genre's evolution away from the political satire of earlier times toward plots focused on general social life and romance. According to ancient testimony, he is credited with being the first comic poet to make love affairs and the seduction of maidens a central plot element, a theme that later became standard in New Comedy. His fragments provide valuable insights into the tastes and daily life of his era.

Available Works

Ἀποσπάσματα περὶ Πόσεως καὶ Εἱμαρμένης
Fragments on Drinking and Fate
217 passages
Ἀποσπάσματα περὶ Εἱμαρμένης
Fragments on Fate
194 passages

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