Semus
Σῆμος
(Σῆμος), a Greek grammarian of uncertain date.
Suidas calls him an Elean, but it appears from Athenaeus (iii. p. 123d.) that this is a mistake, and that he was a native of Delos.
Works
Semus wrote, according to Suidas (s. v.), eight books on Delos, two books of περίοδοι, one on Paros, one on Pergamus, and a work on Paeans.
On Delos (Δηλιακά or Δηλιάς)
His work on Delos (Δηλιακά or Δηλιάς) was the most important, and is frequently referred to by Athenaeus, and once or twice by other writers (Athen. 3.109f., iv. p. 173e., viii. pp. 331, f., 335, a., xi. p. 469c., xiv. pp. 614, a., 637, b., 645, b., xv. p. 676f.; Steph. Byz. s. v. Τέγυρα; Etym. Magn. s. v. Βίβλινος).
On Paeans
Athenaeus also quotes (xiv. pp. 611, d., 622, a--d.) his work on Paeans (περὶ παιἁνων).
On Islands
We likewise find in Athenaeus (iii. p. 123d.), a reference to a work of Semus on Islands (Νησιάς), but it has been suggested with much probability that this is a false reading for Δηλιάς.
Further Information
Vossius, De Histor. Graecis, p. 497, ed. Westermann.
From William Smith (ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Text provided under a CC BY-SA license by Perseus Digital Library, http://www.perseus.tufts.edu, with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Tufts University. Data accessed from https://github.com/PerseusDL/canonical-pdlrefwk/ on 17 October 2026.