Anacreons

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Several people or works associated with Anacreon, the ancient Greek lyric poet famed for odes on wine, love and pleasure
2. Multiple individuals bearing the name of Anacreon, the Greek poet of the sixth century BC known for light verse about drinking and love
3. Plural form referring to more than one Anacreon, particularly the Greek lyric poet whose playful odes celebrated wine and romance

Etymology: "Anacreons" is the plural of "anacreon," a noun for a poet who writes light, playful verse in praise of wine, love, and feasting. It takes its name from Anacreon, a Greek lyric poet from the city of Teos, whose own songs were admired in antiquity for exactly these themes. The surprise is how little of that verse survives under his name. Most of the playful poems attributed to him were written by later imitators, collected as the "Anacreontea." The style became far more influential than the man's actual work, and European poets from the Renaissance onward wrote drinking songs and love lyrics in what they called the Anacreontic manner, which is how the name became a common noun.