Cleobulus of Lindos (Κλεόβουλος ὁ Λίνδιος) was a 6th-century BCE Greek sage and tyrant of Lindos on Rhodes, traditionally numbered among the Seven Sages of Greece [1]. Celebrated for his strength and beauty and claiming descent from Heracles, he was known for his poetic riddles and for the education of his daughter, Cleobuline, who was also a riddler [1, 2]. As with other archaic sages, the historical details of his life are sparse and legendary [1].

His literary output survives only in fragments. He composed riddles in verse, most famously the "riddle of the year" [2]. He is also credited with a bronze tomb epigram for Midas, though its authenticity was questioned even in antiquity [2].

Cleobulus’s significance stems from his canonical status as one of the Seven Sages, representing the tradition of poetic and riddling wisdom within that group [1]. The endurance of sayings attributed to him underscores his role in the archaic tradition of wisdom literature.

Sources 1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Plato.Stanford.edu): https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/seven-sages/ 2. Diogenes Laertius, Lives of the Eminent Philosophers, Book I (Perseus Digital Library): http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0258%3Abook%3D1%3Achapter%3D6