Numenius of Heraclea (Νουμήνιος ὁ Ἡρακλεώτης) was a Greek didactic poet of the early Hellenistic period (4th–3rd century BCE). He was a native of Heraclea, though the precise city remains unspecified [1]. No further biographical details are recorded.

His sole known work is the didactic epic Halieutica (Ἁλιευτικά), a poem on fishing. The work survives only in fragments, preserved chiefly through later quotations by authors such as Athenaeus [1].

Numenius holds significance as an early Hellenistic exponent of technical didactic poetry in the Homeric epic meter. His Halieutica belongs to a tradition extending from Hesiod to Oppian, offering a poetic treatment of ichthyology and fishing techniques [1].

Sources 1. Perseus Digital Library (Tufts University): https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aentry%3Dnumenius-bio-1