ARATUS

flourished c. 315, c. 245 BC, Macedonia Greek poet of Soli in Cilicia, best remembered for his poem on astronomy, Phaenomena. He resided at the courts of Antigonus II Gonatas, king of Macedonia, and Antiochus I of Syria. The Phaenomena, a didactic poem in hexameters, is his only completely extant work. Lines 1757 versify a prose work on astronomy by Eudoxus of Cnidus (c. 390c. 340), while lines 7581154 treat of weather signs and show much likeness to Pseudo-Theophrastus' De signis tempestatum. The poem became immediately popular and provoked many commentaries, the most important of which is by Hipparchus (c. 150 BC) and is still extant. In form, the Phaenomena belongs to the Alexandrian school, but the author's Stoicism adds a strong note of seriousness. It enjoyed a high reputation among the Romans. Cicero, Caesar Germanicus, and Avienus translated it; the two last versions and fragments of Cicero's survive. One verse from the opening invocation to Zeus has become famous because it was quoted by St. Paul (Acts 17:28).