Cercops

{{Short description|Pythagorean philosopher, orphic poet}}

{{distinguish|Cecrops|Cercopes}}

Cercops ({{langx|grc|Κέρκωψ}}) was one of the oldest Orphic poets. He was called a Pythagorean by Clement of Alexandria.Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, i. Cicero, was said by Epigenes of Alexandria to have been the author of an Orphic epic poem entitled the "Descent to Hades", which seems to have been extant in the Alexandrian period.Cicero De Natura Deorum i. 38 Others attribute this work to Prodicus of Samos, or Herodicus of Perinthus, or Orpheus of Camarina.Suda, Orpheus.

Epigenes also assigns to Cercops the Orphic {{lang|grc|ἱερός λόγος}} which was ascribed by some to Theognetus of Thessaly, and was a poem in twenty-four books.

The book The works of Aristotle (1908, p. 80 Fragments) mentioned.{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/worksofaristotle12arisuoft|title=The works of Aristotle|year=1908|author=Aristotle|author2=Ross, William David (1877)|author3=Smith, John Alexander (1863-1939)|page=[https://archive.org/details/worksofaristotle12arisuoft/page/80 80]}}

:Aristotle says the poet Orpheus never existed; the Pythagoreans ascribe this Orphic poem to a certain Cercon (which likely means Cercops).