
Mesomedes of Crete was a Greek lyric poet and composer of the early 2nd century.
He was a freedman of the Emperor Hadrian, on whose favorite Antinous he is said to have written a panegyric, specifically called a Citharoedic Hymn (Suidas). Two epigrams by him in the Greek Anthology (Anthol. pal. xiv. 63, xvi. 323) are extant, and a hymn to Nemesis that begins "Nemesis, winged balancer of life, dark-faced goddess, daughter of Justice" [1]. The hymn is one of four which preserve the ancient musical notation written over the text. [read more...]