Theocritus

The Greek poet Theocritus wrote poems covering a wide range of topics, settings and emotions. His pastoral poetry - working in rural and rural life - is his art. Theocritus is said to have invented a form of writing known as shepherding. Little is known about the life of Theocritus. Scholars believe that he was born in the city of Syracuse, on the island of Sicily. However, he lived most of his life in Cos, an island in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Asia Minor, and also in Alexandria in Egypt. While in Egypt, he may have sat in the court of Pharaoh * Ptolemy II, to whom he wrote a poem in praise of him. Theocritus' works, called Idylls (from the Greek word for "pictures"), include a variety of poems. Some are small epics * relating to mythological figures and myths, such as Herpent and the Greek gods. Some are lyrics * on topics like love. The third group of poems are moments of light - light works, often amused by familiar characters.