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What was fabula palliata in Roman theatre?

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comedy Poster for the Federal Theatre Project presentation of *The Path of Flowers*, a farce-comedy play written by Valentin Kataev (or Katayev) at the Experimental Theatre in New York City, between 1936-41.

The fabula palliata was a genre of ancient Roman comedy consisting of translations or adaptations of Greek New Comedy. The term translates roughly to "play in Greek dress," derived from the pallium, a Latin name for the Greek cloak known as the himation worn by the actors.12

These comedies utilized Greek stock characters and conventionalized plots of romantic intrigue to satirize contemporary life. While they were based on Greek models, playwrights like Plautus adapted the form by incorporating Roman customs, local place-names, and Latin puns, often employing a boisterous and lively style. Other notable representatives included Terence, who was known for a more polished, graceful approach, and Statius Caecilius.1

By the mid-2nd century BCE, the fabula palliata was largely succeeded by the fabula togata, which featured Roman subjects and dress. The fabulae palliatae remain significant as the primary medium through which Greek New Comedy was preserved and later influenced European comedy.12