Anacreon

Anacreon left his birthplace after the Persian Empire took over. He subsequently participated in the colonization of Thrace. He became court poet to the tyrants of the Greek city-states. He successively worked at the courts of Polycrates (on the island of Samos), Hipparchus (Athens) and the son of Peisistratus. He sang various odes to his patrons, especially to Polycrates, with whom he became famous. When Polycrates died, other tyrants took an interest in him.

Anacreon is the author of love poetry. He is admired for his jocular tone and his knowledge of mythology. His style has been described as Ionian. Mostly all his poems were accompanied by a lyre or other instrument. The content is about various forms of love, but also about drunkenness.

Anacreon's work was very popular among the people, as was he himself.