Editing Aratus (section)

==Later influence==
The two poems were very popular both in the Greek and Roman world,<ref>comp. Ovid, Am. i. 15. 16</ref> as is proved by the number of commentaries and Latin translations. He enjoyed immense prestige among [[Hellenistic]] poets, including [[Theocritus]], [[Callimachus]] and [[Leonidas of Tarentum]]. This assessment was picked up by [[Latin]] poets, including [[Ovid]] and [[Virgil]]. [[Latin]] versions were made by none other than [[Cicero]] (mostly extant),{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}<ref>Cicero, ''de Nat. Deor.'' ii. 41</ref> Ovid (only two short fragments remain), the member of the [[Julio-Claudian dynasty|imperial Julio-Claudian dynasty]] [[Germanicus]] (extant, with [[scholia]]), and the less-famous [[Rufius Festus Avienius|Avienius]] (extant).
[[Quintilian]] was less enthusiastic.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}
Aratus was also cited by the author of [[Acts of the Apostles|Acts]] (believed to be [[Luke the Evangelist]]), in [[Acts 17:28]], where he relates [[Paul of Tarsus|Saint Paul]]'s address on the [[Areopagus]].
Paul, speaking of [[God]], quotes the fifth line of Aratus's ''Phenomena'' ([[Epimenides]] seems to be the source of the first part of [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ACTS17%3A28%2C0&version=HCSB Acts 17:28],{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} although this is less clear):
{{Verse translation|italicsoff=y|
{{lang|grc|Ἐκ Διὸς ἀρχώμεσθα, τὸν οὐδέποτ' ἄνδρες ἐῶμεν
ἄρρητον· μεσταὶ δὲ Διὸς πᾶσαι μὲν ἀγυιαί,
πᾶσαι δ' ἀνθρώπων ἀγοραί, μεστὴ δὲ θάλασσα
καὶ λιμένες· πάντη δὲ Διὸς κεχρήμεθα πάντες.
''τοῦ γὰρ καὶ γένος εἰμέν''. κτλ.|italic=unset}}|attr1=''Phenomena'' 1–5
|
Let us begin with Zeus, whom we mortals never leave unspoken.
For every street, every market-place is full of god.
Even the sea and the harbour are full of this [[deity]].
Everywhere everyone is indebted to god.
''For we are indeed his offspring ...''}}

Authors of twenty-seven commentaries are known; ones by [[Theon of Alexandria]], [[Achilles Tatius]] and [[Hipparchus of Nicaea]] survive. An [[Arabic language|Arabic]] translation was commissioned in the ninth century by the [[Caliph]] [[Al-Ma'mun]]. He is cited by [[Vitruvius]], [[Stephanus of Byzantium]] and [[Stobaeus]]. Several accounts of his life are extant, by anonymous Greek writers.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

The crater [[Aratus (crater)|Aratus]] on the [[Moon]] and the minor planet [[12152 Aratus]] are named in his honour.