Hermolochus the Lyric Poet (Ἑρμόλοχος ὁ λυρικός) was a Hellenistic author active between the 3rd century BCE and 2nd century CE. No biographical details survive in major reference works, and he is distinguished from a 4th-century BCE Athenian comic poet of the same name [1]. His existence is confirmed only through a single poetic fragment preserved by later authors.

His sole attested work is a lyric fragment, possibly from a paean, quoted by Athenaeus in the Deipnosophistae [3]. It describes the culinary practice of mixing wine with seawater.

Hermolochus’s significance lies in his representation of the fragmentary record of Hellenistic poetry. His surviving lines offer minor evidence for ancient dining customs and exemplify the learned, quotidian detail found in much Hellenistic verse. He is typical of the multitude of minor poets whose work survives only in citations by later compilers.

Sources 1. Suda Online (The Stoa Consortium): http://www.stoa.org/sol-entries/epsilon/3223 2. ToposText: https://topostext.org/people/1430 3. Perseus Digital Library (Tufts University): http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2013.01.0002:book=1:chapter=32&highlight=Hermolochus