Moschus of Syracuse (Μόσχος ὁ Συρακούσιος) was a Hellenistic bucolic poet of the 2nd century BCE, traditionally considered a pupil of Theocritus and a contemporary of Bion [1]. His epithet indicates his origin in Syracuse, Sicily, the foundational city of the bucolic genre, but no further biographical details survive [1][2].

His small surviving corpus includes the miniature epic Europa, which narrates Zeus's abduction of Europa [1][2][3]. Other notable works are Love the Runaway (Ἔρως δραπέτης) and the Epitaph on Bion (Ἐπιτάφιος Βίωνος), a pastoral elegy lamenting the poet Bion [1][2][3]. A handful of minor fragments are also attributed to him.

Moschus is a significant figure in the Hellenistic bucolic tradition. Europa is an important early example of the epyllion, or "little epic," focusing on a single myth with vivid description [1][3]. The Epitaph on Bion became a key model for pastoral elegy. His polished style and contributions to these genres secured his place as a canonical bucolic poet [1][2].

Sources 1. Encyclopædia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Moschus 2. Perseus Digital Library, Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aentry%3Dmoschus-bio-1 3. World History Encyclopedia: https://www.worldhistory.org/Europa_(poem)/