Aretus

Aretus is a masculine given name of ancient Greek origin. The name is derived from aretê, the Greek concept of virtue, excellence, or moral character. In antiquity, it was used in Greek-speaking regions and continued into the Hellenistic and Roman periods as a proper name.

Because surviving sources are fragmentary, the precise biographies of individuals named Aretus are unclear. The name appears in various inscriptions and literary references, borne by several lesser-known figures such as scholars and local officials; none are universally prominent enough to define the name’s only or definitive associations.

In later manuscript tradition, Aretus is Latinized as Aretus. In modern times the given name is rare, and it is mainly of interest to scholars of classical names and prosopography, as well as to those studying the spread of Greek personal names into later cultures.

The name should not be confused with Aretaeus (Aretaeus of Cappadocia), a physician, or with related names such as Arete or Arethusa, which have different etymologies and historical contexts.