Mimnermus was an elegiac poet from the Ionian city of Colophon in Asia Minor, active in the 7th century BCE, likely around 630–600 BCE. Ancient testimony, including from Herodotus, suggests he was a contemporary of the Lydian king Alyattes. He is sometimes associated with Smyrna, a city Colophon helped establish.

His poetry survives only in fragments. His most famous collection was the Nanno, named after a flute-girl he loved. He also composed the Smyrneis, a historical elegy recounting the war between Smyrna and the Lydians, which is an early example of historical narrative in elegiac verse.

Mimnermus is a key figure in archaic Greek elegy, noted for his focus on youth, love, and the brevity of life, themes that influenced later poets. His melancholic treatment of aging and mortality became characteristic. The Smyrneis represents an important early fusion of elegy with historical narrative.