Method for hydrogenating an aromatic compound

A method of hydrogenating an aromatic compound comprising:

• contacting an aromatic compound selected from the group consisting of benzene and alkyl benzene having 1 to 3 alkyl substituents at a temperature of from 25.degree.to 300.degree. C. under a reaction pressure within a range of 1-200 kg/cm.sup.2, with a catalytic amount of a catalyst selected from the group consisting of metal ruthenium, ruthenium hydroxide, ruthenium oxide and a ruthenium salt of an organic acid or inorganic acid, said catalyst being unsupported or supported on a carrier selected from the group consisting of barium sulfate and alumina, and a reducing agent consisting of hydrogen iodide, the amount of the hydrogen iodide being 3-20 times the amount of the aromatic compound, by mole, to completely hydrogenate the aromatic compound and produce an alicyclic compound corresponding to the aromatic compound in near theoretical yields and recovering the alicyclic compound.