ARNAULT, ANTOINE-VINCENT (1766-1834), French dramatist, was born in Paris. His first play, Marius a Minturnes (I791), immediately established his reputation. A year later he followed up his first success with a second republi can tragedy, Lucrece. He was commissioned by Bonaparte in 1797 to reorganize the Ionian islands, and was nominated to the Institute and made secretary general of the university. He was faithful to his patron through his misfortunes, and after the Hundred Days remained in exile until 1819. His tragedies are perhaps less known now than his Fables (1813, 1815 and 1826), which are written in very graceful verse. Arnault collaborated in a Vie politique et militaire de Napoleon (1822), and wrote some interesting Souvenirs d'un sexagenaire (1833), which contain much out-of-the-way information about the history of the years previous to 1804.
His eldest son, EMILIEN LUCIEN (1787-1863), wrote several tragedies, the leading roles in which were interpreted by Talma.
See Sainte-Beuve, Causeries du lundi, vol. vii. Arnault's Oeuvres completes were published at The Hague and Paris in 1818-19.