Amyntas of Telmessos (Ἀμύντας ὁ Τελμησσεύς)

Life Amyntas of Telmessos was a Greek epigrammatist of the 4th century BCE. He originated from Telmessos, a city in Lycia in southwestern Asia Minor [1]. No biographical details about his life are recorded beyond this origin and his single surviving poem.

Works His only known work is the Epigram for the Dog Tauron (Ἐπίγραμμα εἰς τὸν κύνα Ταύρωνα), a single elegiac couplet preserved in the Greek Anthology (Anthologia Palatina 7.211) [2][3]. The poem is an epitaph mourning Tauron, a hunting dog killed by a boar.

Significance Amyntas is a minor but notable figure within the Hellenistic epigram tradition. His sole surviving poem is an early example of an epitaph for a pet, illustrating the genre’s expansion to commemorate animals valued for service and companionship [2]. It contributes to understanding the personal themes and range of subject matter in epigrammatic poetry.

Sources 1. Perseus Digital Library, "Telmessus": http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0064:entry=telmessus-geo 2. Perseus Digital Library, "Anthologia Palatina 7.211": http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2008.01.0479:book=7:chapter=211&highlight=Tauron 3. ToposText, "Amyntas of Telmessos": https://topostext.org/people/1410