Arātus

, a Greek poet of Cilicia, about 277 B.C. He was greatly esteemed by An tigon us Gonatas king of Macedonia, at whose court he pa ed much of his time, and by whose desire he wrote a poem on astronomy, in which he gives an account of the situations, rising and setting, number and motion of the stars. Cicero represented him as unacquainted with astrology, yet capable of writing upon it in elegant and highly finished verses, which, however, from the subject, admit of little variety. Aratus wrote, besides, hymns and epigrams, . , and had among his interpreters and commentators many of the learned men of Greece whose works are lost, besides Cicero, Claudius, and Germanic us Cæsar, who in their youth, or moments of relaxation, translated the Phænomena into Latin verse. The best editions of Aratus are, Grotius, 4to, apud Raphalengius, 1600; and Oxford, 8vo, 1672. Cicero , de Natura Deorum , bk. 2 , ch. 41 .— Pausanias , bk. 1 , ch. 2 .— Ovid , Amores , bk. 1 , poem 15, li. 26 .――The son of Clinias and Aristo dam a, was born at Sicyon in Achaia, near the river Asopus. When he was but seven years of age, his father, who held the government of Sicyon, was a a inated by Abantidas, who made himself absolute. After some revolutions, the sovereignty came into the hands of Nicocles, whom Aratus murdered to restore his country to liberty. He was so jealous of tyrannical power, that he even destroyed a picture which was the representation of a tyrant. He joined the republic of Sicyon to the Achæan league, which he strengthened, by making a treaty of alliance with the Corinthians, and with Ptolemy king of Egypt. He was chosen chief commander of the forces of the Achæans, and drove away the Maced on i ans from Athens and Corinth. He made war against the Spartans, but was conquered in a battle by their king Cleomenes. To repair the lo es he had sustained, he solicited the a istance of king An tigon us, and drove away Cleomenes from Sparta, who fled to Egypt, where he killed himself. The Ætolians soon after attacked the Achæans; and Aratus, to support his character, was obliged to call to his aid Philip king of Macedonia. His friendship with this new ally did not long continue. Philip showed himself cruel and oppre ive; and put to death some of the noblest of the Achæans, and even seduced the wife of the son of Aratus. Aratus, who was now advanced in years, showed his displeasure by withdrawing himself from the society and friendship of Philip. But this rupture was fatal. Philip dreaded the power and influence of Aratus, and therefore he caused him and his son to be poisoned. Some days before his death, Aratus was observed to spit blood; when apprised of it by his friends, he replied, “Such are the rewards which a connection with kings will produce.” He was buried with great pomp by his countrymen; and two solemn sacrifices were annually made to him, the first on the day that he delivered Sicyon from tyranny, and the second on the day of his birth. During those sacrifices, which were called A rate i a , the priests wore a ribbon bespangled with white and purple spots, and the public schoolmaster walked in proce ion at the head of his scholars, and was always accompanied by the richest and most eminent senators, adorned with garlands. Aratus died in the 62nd year of his age, B.C. 213. He wrote a history of the Achæan league, much commended by Polybius. Plutarch , Lives of the Roman Emperors .— Pausanias , bk. 2 , ch. 8 .— Cicero , de Officiis , bk. 2 , ch. 23 .— Strabo , bk. 14 .— Livy , bk. 27 , ch. 31 .— Polybius , bk. 2 .