Comic Fragments Anonymous III (Κωμικὰ Ἀδέσποτα)

Life "Comic Fragments Anonymous III" is a modern designation for a corpus of unattributed Greek comic fragments, known in scholarship as Kōmika adespota. No biographical details exist, as the term describes anonymous works rather than an individual author. These fragments date from the 5th to the 3rd century BCE, spanning Old, Middle, and New Comedy, and are preserved through quotations in later authors and papyri [1][2].

Works The fragments constitute a numerous collection of remnants from lost comedies, cataloged in standard references like Poetae Comici Graeci (PCG). No specific play titles can be assigned to this anonymous corpus.

Significance The adespota are crucial for reconstructing the history of Greek comedy, especially for poorly documented periods like Middle Comedy. They provide evidence for comic themes, metrical practice, theatrical conventions, and the evolution of the Attic dialect beyond the surviving complete plays [1][2].

Sources 1. Perseus Digital Library (Tufts University): https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0057:entry=a)de/spotos 2. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics (Oxford University Press): https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-28