Tassos Roussos was born in Athens in 1934. He studied in the Philosophy School of Athens University and taught language and literature at private and public schools from 1959 to 1966. He started working at the National Theatre in 1965 and has taught Modern Greek literature in its drama school since 1977. He has contributed to literary journals such as I Lexi and Kainouria Epohi, and newspapers including Vima and Kathimerini. He made his literary debut in 1952 with a poem published in the Alexandrian newspaper Tachydromos.

Tassos Roussos, To Leucius, Kastaniotis 2005, p. 7

Most people, Leucius, maintain
that poetry is fashioned from words
and pride themselves on their self-evident
wisdom. It would be more apt if they said
that it rises from these like a warm fount
reaching to the stars. They consume themselves
in describing the appearance of nature.
Yet they fail to see they are dealing
only with the framework, the most perfect
expression of which is simply eloquence.
Very few serve the idea,
endeavouring to preserve it
intact from words
inflamed by sentiment.
So I imagine you will understand
Completely my cool reception
of your verses for a certain Melitta,
one of Antioch’s hetaerae.