Theocritus

Theocritus (c.3rd century B.C.), poet of ancient Greece. He expressed himself through the idyll—a short, lyrical and emotional poem that describes the virtues and beauty of the countryside. This form of poetry is also called a pastoral. He worked in Alexandria, Egypt, a literary center of his time. Of his life's work, 30 written poems remain. Theocritus was influenced by the Alexandrian librarian and poet Callimachus, and in turn influenced the work of the Roman poet Vergil.