catalogued MSS are imperfectly registered, so that more Arabic translations of hitherto
unknown Greek works will surely be discovered. Yet it is already clear that in the fields of
science, medicine, and philosophy, Arabic far surpasses ancient and Medieval Latin in
importance as a successor to Greek tradition.
Arabic translations of extant Greek originals must be considered witnesses to the Greek
text and used in editions of the Greek. Often the Arabic translations were made from MSS
centuries older than the oldest extant Greek MSS of a given work. Some of the works
translated into Arabic from ancient Greek were later translated from Arabic into other
languages including Persian, Hebrew, Latin, and even Byzantine Greek, adding further
witnesses to the ancient texts.
For more complete coverage of the Greco-Arabic translations of scientific works, one
may consult the introductory bibliography given below.
GAS (especially v. 3 Medizin, Pharmazie, Zoologie, Tierheilkunde, v. 4 Alchimie, Chemie, Botanik, Agrikultur, v. 5
Mathematik, v. 6 Astronomie, v. 7 Astrologie, Meteorologie und Verwandtes, vv. 10– 12 Mathematische Geographie
und Kartographie); Ullmann (1970) and (1972); G. Endress, “Die wissenschaftliche Literatur,” in
Grundriss der arabischen Philologie (1987–1992) 2.400–506, 3.3–152; D. Gutas, “Pre-Plotinian Phil-
osophy in Arabic (Other than Platonism and Aristotelianism): A Review of the Sources” in ANRW
2.36.7 (1994) 4939–4973; Idem, Greek Thought, Arabic Culture (1998); Encyclopedia of the History of Arabic
Sciences 3vv. (1996) ed. R. Rashed; H. Daiber, Bibliography of Islamic Philosophy, 2 vv. (1999).
Kevin van Bladel
A T ⇒ A
A ⇒ A
Aratos of Soloi (Kilikia) (290? – 240 BCE)
Born around 300, Aratos was the son of
Athe ̄nodo ̄ros and Letophila. He had three
brothers among whom was Athe ̄nodo ̄ros
II, disciple of Z K. Aratos
attended the lessons of Ze ̄no ̄n with him in
Athens and came under the influence of
Stoicism. Aratos also had good relation-
ships with the philosopher Menede ̄mos of
Eretria who warmly received other poets
for the purpose of discussion of literary
questions. Aratos lived under the reigns of
both Ptolemy II Philadelphos and Antigo-
nos Gonatas and was called to the court of
the latter in 276. Antigonos Gonatas is even said to have invited Aratos to compose his
Phainomena by giving him a copy of E’ prose treatise on the same subject: this
anecdote, highly improbable and legendary, at least suggests that Aratos wrote his Phainom-
ena after 276 in Pella, even if he already thought about it in Athens. In Pella, he also may
have had close relationships with the Stoic Persaios, the tragedian Antagoras of Rhodes
and the poet A P. He also could have been a disciple of the astron-
omer A. Finally Aratos is said to have been in contact with Dionusios of
Aratos (inv. 1968.244.38) Courtesy of the Ameri-
can Numismatic Society
ARATOS OF SOLOI (KILIKIA)