Mimnermus
Ancient Greek poet
- Lived
- 669 BC–600 BC
Updated September 2026
About Mimnermus
Mimnermus was a Greek elegiac poet from either Colophon or Smyrna in Ionia, who flourished about 632–629 BC. He was strongly influenced by Homer, yet he wrote short poems suitable for performance at drinking parties and was remembered by ancient authorities chiefly as a love poet. Mimnermus in turn exerted a strong influence on Hellenistic poets such as Callimachus and thus also on Roman poets such as Propertius, who even preferred him to Homer for his eloquence on love themes.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.