The KomFrag project was included in the Academies Program in 2011 and is scheduled to run for 15 years. This will go some way toward closing a gap in our understanding of literature from classical antiquity—and thus of the history of education.

Large parts of Greek literature—especially from the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods—are attested not by complete texts, but by fragments. This applies not only to pre-Socratic and Hellenistic philosophy or early poetry, to name a few significant examples, but also to drama. This means that it is impossible to present a history of Greek literature without including the fragmentary texts that have survived, and that even such a history must remain fragmentary.

In contrast to Greek tragedy, we have an enormous number of testimonies and fragments from over 200 authors of comedy, which have now been published in the monumental edition of Poetae Comici Graeci (edited by R. Kassel and C. Austin), but are still awaiting scholarly analysis. This research project breaks new ground in literary history by commenting on the fragmentary works of comedy authors, thereby correcting the previously rather one-sided view of a central genre of European literature.

The aim of the commentaries is, on the one hand, to make the texts, which are generally difficult to understand, accessible from various perspectives (philological-literary-historical, archaeological, historical) and, on the other hand, where possible, to attempt a reconstruction of the plays themselves and to classify the authors in terms of literary history.

The material

In total, we know of 8501 comedy fragments by 253 poets whose names are known to us. In addition, there is a considerable amount of evidence about the lives and works of the poets themselves. Most of the fragments date from the 5th century BC and can be attributed to the poets Kratinos, Aristophanes, and Eupolis. Other well-documented authors include Pherekrates, Theopamp, and Hermippos. The source situation for the 4th century BC is similarly good, with Antiphanes and Alexis in particular being attested by a large number of fragments. From the Hellenistic period (late 4th century – 1st century BC), Menander is particularly well documented, for example through papyrus finds from the late 19th century, but also through numerous fragments. Other authors from this era include Philemon and Diphilos.

Interdisciplinary approach

The project is primarily philological in nature. However, due to the special nature of the comedy texts, close cooperation with ancient history and archaeology is necessary. The first result of the cooperation with archaeologists from the University of Würzburg is an Archaeologia comica, which is currently in planning and will compile the realia described in the comedies and comedy fragments in an encyclopedia-like format. Another project is the Onomastikon comicum, a compilation of all the people mentioned in the comedies, which will serve as a working basis for research in ancient history and onomastics. Literary and cultural studies interests are covered by investigations into forms of comedy, while aspects of educational and reception history are covered by the study of the tradition and specific carriers of comedy texts.

International networking

The project is explicitly designed to attract external staff. There are currently 21 external staff members from the UK, Italy, the US, and Greece. The number of inquiries is steadily increasing. Workshops and conferences contribute to the international visibility of the research project. The international network is particularly evident in the high-caliber scientific advisory board, consisting of Professors Glenn W. Most (Pisa), Heinz-Günther Nesselrath (Göttingen), S. Douglas Olson (University of Minnesota), Alan H. Sommerstein (Nottingham), and Antonios Rengakos (Thessaloniki).