Parodist Anonymous (Ἀνώνυμος παρωδός) is the conventional designation for the author of the Batrachomyomachia (Βατραχομυομαχία, The Battle of the Frogs and Mice). No biographical details survive. Ancient tradition variously, and spuriously, attributed the poem to Homer or to Pigres of Halicarnassus [1][2]. The work’s language and style indicate a Hellenistic date of composition, likely in the 3rd or 2nd century BCE, by an author thoroughly versed in Homeric epic [1][2].

The primary work is the Batrachomyomachia, a complete mock-epic parody of Homeric style [1][2]. A lost poem, the Psaromachia (Ψαρομαχία, The Battle of the Fish), is also sometimes linked to this anonymous parodist [3].

The Batrachomyomachia is a significant early example of literary parody, underscoring the foundational role of Homeric poetry in ancient culture. Its popularity is attested by its survival in numerous manuscripts and its historical use as a school text for Homeric Greek [1][2]. The poem influenced the later mock-heroic tradition.

Sources 1. Encyclopædia Britannica: Batrachomyomachia: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Batrachomyomachia 2. Perseus Digital Library: Homer, Batrachomyomachia, Introduction: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0233 3. Suda Encyclopedia (via ToposText): Entry for "Psaromachia": https://topostext.org/work/741#psi.105