Batrachomyomachia

About “Batrachomyomachia”

The Batrachomyomachia, or Battle of the Frogs and Mice, is a comic epic that parodies the Iliad. Its exact date and authorship are uncertain, but it is associated with the classical period, as it was mentioned by Plutarch. Traditionally dated to the 5th century BC, linguistic analysis suggests it may have originated in Ionia during the 3rd or 2nd century BC. Some scholars believe it was written during the Roman era and attribute it to Lucian, while a medieval manuscript credits it to Timarchus of Caria, an obscure figure linked to Miletus. The poem is considered an ancient mock-Homeric epic. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.)