TIL for nearly a thousand years, the ancient world’s most popular and admired comedian was Menander of Athens. Ironically, his work was lost to history until 1952, when a single play was rediscovered

The story of the play concerns a rich young nobleman, Sostratos, who falls in love at first sight with a village peasant girl and decides to marry her. Unfortunately, her father, Knemon, is reclusive, notoriously bad-tempered, and next to impossible to approach. Eventually, after winning over Knemon's stepson Gorgias, showing his own work ethic, and helping to rescue Knemon from the well he has absurdly fallen into, Sostratos wins Knemon over and receives his blessing to marry his daughter. Sostratos also persuades his own father, Kallippides, to bless the betrothal of his own daughter to Gorgias. At the end of the play, Knemon is dragged kicking and screaming by the other characters to join the party for his daughter's wedding. As explained in the prologue, the events of the play are secretly orchestrated by the god Pan who wishes to reward the religious piety of Knemon's daughter and force Knemon, against his will, to experience a redemption arc.

Though incomplete works were found spreaded all across the Mediterranean, mostly though in translated form.

Also I find interesting that the common latinism: Alea Yacta Est, or The Die Is Cast, allegedly said by Julius Caesar before crossing the Rubicon was in reality quoting a Menander's play in greek which was instead "Let the die be cast".

So Menander was clearly a big big deal back then, yet it was mostly unknown to me. Thanks for sharing!

I wonder if we'd find his work funny today.

What about that was ironical?