Aratos
Aratos of Soli (c. 315/310 – 240 BCE) was a Greek didactic poet and astronomer. He is best known for his poem Phaenomena (Φαινόμενα), a hexameter poem describing the constellations and other celestial phenomena.
Life and Work
Born in Soli, Cilicia (present-day Turkey), Aratos studied philosophy with Menecrates in Athens, and later spent time at the court of Antigonus II Gonatas, king of Macedon. He was a protégé of the king, who commissioned him to write the Phaenomena.
Phaenomena, alongside its companion piece Diosemeia (Διοσημεία), became one of the most widely read and influential poems in the ancient world. Phaenomena is based on an earlier prose work on astronomy by Eudoxus of Cnidus, and describes the positions of the constellations in the night sky and their associated myths. While not providing original astronomical observations, Phaenomena served as a practical guide for navigation and timekeeping, and was highly regarded for its poetic skill and accessible presentation of complex astronomical concepts.
Diosemeia deals with weather signs and is derived from Theophrastus's meteorological observations.
Aratos's work was translated into Latin by figures such as Cicero, Germanicus, and Avienus, demonstrating its enduring popularity and influence. His Phaenomena served as a basis for further astronomical and astrological studies throughout antiquity and the Middle Ages.
Legacy
Aratos's Phaenomena is significant for several reasons:
- Accessibility: It made astronomical knowledge more accessible to a wider audience, beyond professional astronomers and mathematicians.
- Poetic Merit: It demonstrated how scientific and technical information could be conveyed through compelling verse.
- Navigation: It aided sailors and travelers in navigating by the stars.
- Cultural Influence: Its influence can be seen in numerous works of art, literature, and science throughout history.
Aratos's work continues to be studied by classicists and historians of science for its insights into ancient Greek astronomy, mythology, and culture.