Theocritus c.310-250BC
Greek pastoral poet

Born probably in Syracuse, Sicily, he was brought up on the island of Cos, but lived for a time at the court of Ptolemy II, Philadelphus, in Alexandria, returning later to Cos. The authenticity of some of his 30 extant bucolic poems has been disputed. He wrote a series of poems dealing with heroic legend, especially that of Heracles, and his famous 15th Idyll, Syracusii ('The Ladies of Syracuse'), is said to be copied from Sophron. His short pastoral poems, representing a single scene, came to be called Idylls (eidullia). Virgil imitates him in his Eclogues, and Tennyson was influenced by him, as were the pastoral poets of the Renaissance.

Bibliography: A S F Gow, Theocritus (1952)