As much as we know about Arion's life come mainly from the historian Herodotus. Arion, whose birth and death date are unknown, should have lived between 7th and 6th century B.C., was lyrical poet and stemmed from Mithumna of Lesvos.

He left Lesvos early to live by Corinth's tyrrant Periandros. Arion was the best gleeman of his age and also contributed to the evolution of dithyramb, the song of dionysian worship, which was the precursor of tragedy. Although Arion had written a lot of poems and dithyrambs, none of the lyrics have survived today.