lasus

Lasus, most commonly associated with Lasus of Hermione, is the name of an ancient Greek lyric poet and musician believed to have flourished in the late 6th or early 5th century BCE. In classical sources, Lasus is credited with contributing to the early development of Greek lyric poetry and the dithyramb, a choral form linked to Dionysian ritual. The surviving evidence about his life and works is fragmentary and indirect, with most information coming from later writers who quote or reference his contributions. Because the historical record is sparse, exact dates, affiliations, and specifics of his oeuvre remain uncertain and debated among scholars.

Scholarly discussions place Lasus within the early tradition of Greek musical and poetic composition. His attributed works, though largely lost, are said to reflect stylistic and theoretical approaches that influenced later poets and musicians. The fragmentary nature of the testimony means modern reconstructions emphasize broad influence and thematic tendencies rather than detailed, verifiable texts.

Name variants and modern usage: In Latin and modern transliteration, the name appears as Lasus, Lasos, or Lasus. In some contexts, lowercase “lasus” may occur when the term is cited as a traditional label rather than as a proper noun. Outside of references to the ancient figure, the term does not denote a widely recognized concept or entity in contemporary science or culture.