The anonymous Manichaean writers were Greek-speaking authors of the 4th and 5th centuries CE. They belonged to the Manichaean faith, a major but persecuted Gnostic religion founded by the prophet Mani. In the Roman Empire of this period, Manichaeans were denounced as heretics by Christian authorities, and their texts were often targeted for suppression.

These writers are known for producing biographical and doctrinal works, though none survive intact. Their most significant known work is the Acts of Archelaus, a text that recounted a debate between Mani and a Christian bishop. The original Greek version is lost, and it is primarily known through quotations and summaries in later Christian writings that sought to refute it.

According to modern scholars, the historical importance of these anonymous writers is twofold. First, they served as crucial transmitters of Manichaean stories and theology within the Greek-speaking world. Second, their works became key sources for their opponents. Early Christian polemicists quoted and engaged with these Manichaean texts to argue against them, which inadvertently preserved fragments of Manichaean thought. In this way, these anonymous authors provide a vital, if indirect, window into the complex religious debates and Gnostic traditions of Late Antiquity.