ARETAeUS, a Greek physician of Cappadocia, who lived, according to some, in the reign of Augustus; according to others, under Trajan or Hadrian. He was one of the class of Pneumatic physicians, who made the heart the seat of life and of the soul. He wrote, in the Ionic dialect, several treatises on acute diseases and other medical subjects, some of which are still extant. The best editions of his works are—that of Boerhaave, in Greek and Latin, with notes, 1731; that printed at Oxford in 1723, in folio; and that by C. G. Kühn, Leipsic, 1828.

ARETHUSA, a fountain at Syracuse, in Sicily, famed among the ancients for the abundance of its waters and the number of its fishes, but still more so for the connection which was fabled to exist between it and Alpheus, the river of the Peloponnesus, “who stole under seas to meet his Arethuse.” According to the anthropomorphic legend, Arethusa was a daughter of Nereus and Doris, who was changed into the fountain by her mistress Diana (Artemis), to deliver her from the pursuit of her lover Alpheus. There is still a copious supply of water in the modern fountain, but the taste is brackish, and it can only be used for washing; while the fish are no longer to be found. There was a fountain of the same name in Ithaca (Homer), and another at Chalcis in Euboea, which supplied the city with water, but, according to Leake, has now disappeared. There was also a lake Arethusa, through which the Tigris flowed, identified by Ritter with L. Nazuk.

Arethusa was also the name of two cities: Arethusa in Macedonia, famous for the tomb of Euripides, and Arethusa in Syria (Rastan), which gives its name to Marcus, a bishop who was persecuted by the Arethusans, and is honoured as a martyr by the Greek Church.

ARETINO, Pietro, an Italian writer of the 16th century, was born ini 492 at Arezzo in Tuscany, from which place he took his name. He is said to have been the natural son of Luigi Bacci, a gentleman of the town. He received little education, and lived for some years poor and neglected, picking up such scraps of information as he could. When very young he was banished from Arezzo on account of a satirical sonnet which he composed against indulgences. He went to Perugia, where for some time he worked as a bookbinder, and continued to distinguish himself by his daring attacks upon religion. After some years’ wandering through parts of Italy he reached Rome, where his talents, wit, and impudence commended him to the Papal Court. This favour, however, he lost in 1523 by writing a set of obscene sonnets, to accompany an equally immoral series of drawings by the great painter, Julio Romano. He left Rome and was received by John de Medici, who took him to Milan and introduced him to Francis I. He gained the good graces of that monarch, and received handsome presents from him. Shortly after this Aretino attempted to regain the favour of the Pope, but, having come to Rome, he composed a sonnet against a rival in some low amour, and in return was assaulted and severely wounded. He could obtain no redress from the Pope, and returned to John de Medici. On the death of the latter in December 1526, he withdrew to Venice, where he afterwards continued to reside. He spent his time here in writing comedies, sonnets, licentious dialogues, and a few devotional and religious works. He led a profligate life, and procured funds to satisfy his needs by writing syco-phantish letters to all the nobles and princes with whom he was acquainted. This plan proved eminently successful, for large sums ...