Apollodorus of Carystus

Apollodorus of Carystus (Greek: Ἀπολλόδωρος ὁ Καρύστιος) in Euboea, was one of the most important writers of the Attic New Comedy, who flourished in Athens between 300 and 260 B.C. He is to be distinguished from the older Apollodorus of Gela (342—290), also a writer of comedy, a contemporary of Menander. He wrote 47 comedies and obtained the prize five times. Terence borrowed his Hecyra and Phormio from the Hekyra and Epidikazomenos of Apollodorus.

Surviving titles and fragments

  • Amphiareus ("Amphiaraus")
  • Anteuergeton ("Man Who Returns a Kindness")
  • Apokarterountes ("People Starving Themselves to Death")
  • Apoleipousa ("The Woman Who Leaves")
  • Grammateidiopoios ("Maker of Writing Tablets")
  • Diabolos ("The Accuser")
  • Hekyra ("The Mother-In-Law")
  • Ennea ("Nine")
  • Epidikazomenos ("The Claimant")
  • Hiereia ("The Priestess")
  • Proikizomene ("The Woman with a Dowry") or Himatiopolis ("The Female Clothes-Seller")
  • Sphattomene ("The Woman Being Slaughtered")

In addition to these twelve plays, there are nine other titles (and associated fragments) which are only credited to "Apollodorus" by the ancient authorities, without specifying whether they were written by Apollodorus of Carystus or Apollodorus of Gela. They are as follows:

  • Adelphoi ("Brothers")
  • Aphanizomenos ("The Disappearing Man")
  • Galatai ("The Galatians")
  • Diamartanon ("The Man Who Is Failing Utterly")
  • Kitharodos ("The Citharode")
  • Lakaina ("The Laconian Woman")
  • Paidion ("The Little Child")
  • Paralogizomenoi ("The Beguiling Men")
  • Synepheboi ("People Who Were Adolescents Together")

Fragments in Koch, Comicorum Atticorum Fragmenta, ii. (1884)

References

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Apollodorus (of Carystes).