Arete

• the wife of Alcinous, king of the Phaeacians, Hyg. Fab. 23.

(Ἀρήτη), the wife of Alcinous, king of the Phaeacians. In the Odyssey she appears as a noble and active superintendent of the household of her husband, and when Odysseus arrived in the island, he first applied to queen Arete to obtain hospitable reception and protection. (Hom. Od. 6.310, 7.65, &c., 142.) Respecting her connexion with the story of Jason and Medeia, see Alcinous. [L.S]

(Ἀρετή), daughter of the elder Dionysius and Aristomache. She was first married to Thearides, and upon his death to her uncle Dion, the brother of her mother Aristomache. After Dion had fled from Syracuse during the reign of the younger Dionysius, Arete was compelled by her brother to marry Timocrates, one of his friends; but she was again received by Dion as his wife, when he had obtained possession of Syracuse and expelled the younger Dionysius. After Dion's assassination, B. C. 353, Arete was imprisoned together with her mother, and brought forth a son while in confinement. Arete and Aristomache were subsequently liberated and kindly received by Hicetas, one of Dion's friends, but he was afterwards persuaded by the enemies of Dion to drown them. (Plut. Dio 6, 21, 51, 57, 58; Aelian, Ael. VH 12.47, who erroneously makes Arete the mother, and Aristomache the wife of Dion.)

(Ἀρήτη), daughter of Aristippus, the founder of the Cyrenaic school of philosophy. She was instructed by him in the principles of his system, which she transmitted to her son, Aristippus μητροδίδακτος, to whom Ritter (Gesch. der Phil. 7.1. 3) ascribes the formal completion of the earlier Cyrenaic doctrine. We are told by Diogenes Laertius (2.72), that her father taught her contentment and moderation, both by precept and practice, and the same duties are insisted on in an epistle now extant, said to be addressed to her by him. This letter is certainly spurious [Aristippus], although Laertius mentions among the writings of Aristippus an ἐπιστολὴ πρὸς Ἀρήτην τὴν Δυγατέρα. Whether the letter to which he refers was the same as that which we possess, is uncertain ; but the fact that it was extant in his time would not prove its authenticity. Aelian (Ael. NA 3.40) calls Arete the sister of Aristippus, but this assertion is opposed to the statement of all other writers; and, besides, the passage which contains it is corrupt. (D. L. 2.72, 86; Brucker, Hist. Crit. Phil. 2.2, 3.) [G.E.L.C]

(Ἀρήτη). The wife of Alcinoüs (q.v.), king of the Phaeacians, and the protector of Odysseus (q.v.).

• marries Medea to Jason: Apollod. 1.9.25