Nicander of Colophon (Νίκανδρος ὁ Κολοφώνιος) was a Hellenistic didactic poet of the 2nd century BCE. A citizen of Claros near Colophon, he served as a priest of Apollo at the oracle there, a role attested by Delphic inscriptions [1]. He was active at the court of Attalus III of Pergamum (138–133 BCE), to whom he likely dedicated a work [1][2].

His surviving hexameter poems are the Theriaca (Θηριακά), on venomous animals and their bites, and the Alexipharmaca (Ἀλεξιφάρμακα), on poisons and antidotes [1][2]. Major lost works include the Heteroeumena (Ἑτεροιούμενα), a poem on metamorphoses used by Ovid; the Georgica (Γεωργικά), on farming, which influenced Virgil; and the Melissourgica (Μελισσουργικά), on beekeeping [1][2].

Nicander is a key figure in Hellenistic didactic poetry. While his surviving works are more valuable for toxicological folklore than scientific accuracy, his literary influence was profound [1][2]. His lost Heteroeumena and Georgica were direct models for Ovid’s Metamorphoses and Virgil’s Georgics, respectively [1][2].

Sources 1. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics (Oxford University Press): https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-4386 2. Encyclopædia Britannica (Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.): https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nicander-of-Colophon