Aratus

Aratus of Soli was a third century BC didactic poet at the court of Antigonus Gonatas of Macedonia, where he wrote his famous astronomical poem ‘Phaenomena’ (Appearances). It describes the constellations and other celestial phenomena, while the latter section is chiefly concerned with weather lore. Aratus’ poem was extremely popular both in the Greek and Roman world, as demonstrated by the large number of commentaries and Latin translations. He enjoyed immense prestige among Hellenistic poets, including Theocritus, Callimachus and Leonidas of Tarentum. This assessment was passed on to the Latin writers, notably influencing Ovid, Virgil and Cicero. Delphi’s Ancient Classics series provides eReaders with the wisdom of the Classical world, with both English translations and the original Greek texts. This comprehensive eBook presents Aratus’ complete extant works, with illustrations, informative introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1)