Arethas (martyr)

Arethas or Aretas (الحارث بن كعب) was the leader of the Miaphysite Christian community of Najran in the early 6th century; he was executed during the persecution of Christians by king Dhu Nuwas of Himyar in 523.

He is known from the Acta S. Arethae (also called Martyrium sancti Arethae or Martyrium Arethae) which exists in two recensions: the earlier and more authentic, which was found by Michel Le Quien (Oriens Christianus, ii. 428) and was subsequently dated as no later than the 7th century; the later, revised by Simeon Metaphrastes, dates from the 10th century. The Ge'ez and Arabic versions of the text were translated into French in 2006 and the Greek version in 2007.