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ARRIAN (FLAvrus ARRIANUS)

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Originally appearing in Volume V02, Page 649 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ARRIAN (FLAvrus ARRIANUS) , of See also:Nicomedia in See also:Bithynia, See also:Greek historian and philosopher, was See also:born about A.D. 96, and lived during the reigns of See also:Hadrian, See also:Antoninus See also:Pius and See also:Marcus Aurelius. In recognition of his abilities, he received the See also:citizen-See also:ship of both See also:Athens and See also:Rome. He was greatly esteemed by Hadrian, who appointed him See also:governor. (legatus) of See also:Cappadocia (131–137), in which capacity he distinguished himself in a See also:campaign against the See also:Alani. This is the only instance before the 3rd See also:century in which a first-See also:rate See also:Roman military command was given to a Greek. Arrian spent a considerable portion of his See also:time at Athens, where he was See also:archon 147–148. With his retirement or recall from Cappadocia his See also:official career came to an end. In his declining years, he retired to his native See also:place, where he devoted himself to See also:literary See also:work. He died about 180. His See also:biography, by Dio See also:Cassius, is lost. When See also:young, Arrian was the See also:pupil and friend of See also:Epictetus, who had probably withdrawn to See also:Nicopolis, when See also:Domitian expelled all philosophers from Rome.

He took verbatim notes of his teacher's lectures, which he subsequently published under the See also:

title of The See also:Dissertations (Oearpe f3ai), in eight books, of which the first four are extant and constitute the See also:chief authority for Stoic See also:ethics, and The Encheiridion (i.e. See also:Manual) of Epictetus, a handbook of moral See also:philosophy, for many years a favourite instruction See also:book with both Christians and pagans. It was adapted for See also:Christian use by St Nilus of See also:Constantinople (5th century), and See also:Simplicius (about 550) wrote a commentary on it which we still possess. The most important of Arrian's See also:original See also:works is his See also:Anabasis of See also:Alexander, in seven books, containing the See also:history of Alexander the See also:Great from his, See also:accession to his See also:death. Arrian's chief authorities were, as he tells us, See also:Aristobulus of Cassandreia and See also:Ptolemy, son of Lagus (afterwards See also:king of See also:Egypt), who both accompanied Alexander on his See also:campaigns. In spite of a too indulgent view of his See also:hero's defects, and some over-credulity, Arrian's is the most See also:complete and trustworthy See also:account of Alexander that we possess. Other extant works of Arrian are: Indica, a description of See also:India in the Ionic See also:dialect, including the voyage of See also:Nearchus, intended as a supplement to the Anabasis; Acies Contra Alanos, a fragment of importance for the knowledge of Roman military affairs; Periplus of the Euxine, an official account written (131) for the See also:emperor Hadrian; Tactica, attributed by some to Aelianus, who wrote in the reign of See also:Trajan; Cynegeticus, a See also:treatise on the See also:chase, supplementing See also:Xenophon's work on the same subject; the Periplus of the Erythraean See also:Sea, attributed to him, is by a later compiler. Amongst his lost works may be mentioned: Ta ,uer' 'See also:AXE az' pov, a history of the See also:period succeeding Alexander, of which an See also:epitome is preserved in See also:Photius; histories of Bithynia, the Alani and the See also:Parthian See also:wars under Trajan; the lives of See also:Timoleon of See also:Syracuse, See also:Dion of Syracuse and a famous brigand named Timoleon. Arrian's See also:style is See also:simple, lucid and manly; but his See also:language, though pure, presents some peculiarities. He was called " Xenophon the younger " from his See also:imitation of that writer, and he even speaks of himself as Xenophon. Complete works ed. F.

See also:

Dubner (1846) ; Anabasis, C. Abicht (1889) ; with notes, C. W. See also:Kruger (1835), C. Sintenis 0867), C. Abicht (1875); Scripta Minora, R. Hercher and A. See also:Eberhard (1885); A. J. Roos, i., containing the Anabasis (Teubner See also:series, 1907). See also:English See also:translations: Anabasis, See also:Rooke (1812); Anabasis and Indica, E. J.

Chinnock (1893); Voyage of Nearchus with the See also:

spurious Periplus, W. See also:Vincent (1807), J. W. M'Crindle (See also:Calcutta, 1879); Periplus of the Euxine, W. See also:Falconer (1805); Cynegeticus [W. Dansey] (1831). See also E. Bolla, Arriano di Nicomedia (189o) ; E. Schwartz in Pauly-1Vissowa's Realencyclopadie der classischen Altertumswissenschafl (1896) ; H. F.

End of Article: ARRIAN (FLAvrus ARRIANUS)

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