Arrian
Author of The Campaigns of Alexander
About the Author
Historian, philosopher, and general, Arrian was born into a wealthy Greek family in Nicomedia, in Asia Minor. He was a pupil and friend of the philosopher Epictetus, whose lectures he published at Athens. For six years, from 131 to 137, he served as governor of Cappadocia under the emperor Hadrian. show more It was during this time that he successfully drove back invading Alans. Arrian wrote several geographical and historical works, including the Indica, an account of a voyage to India. He is best known, however, as author of the Anabasis. A much praised and valuable account of the life of Alexander the Great, it is based on the writings of Ptolemy I and Aristobulus, two of Alexander's generals. He modeled the work on Anabasis of Xenophon. Arrian died at an advanced age during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Works by Arrian
Arrian: Anabasis of Alexander, Books I-IV (Loeb Classical Library No. 236) (1976) 139 copies, 1 review
Arrian: Anabasis of Alexander, Books 5-7. Indica. (Loeb Classical Library No. 269) (1983) 120 copies
Alexander The Great: Selections From Arrian, Diodorus, Plutarch, And Quintus Curtius (2005) 81 copies
Alexander the Great: The Anabasis and the Indica (Oxford World's Classics) (2013) 77 copies, 1 review
Arrian: Alexander the Great: Selections from Arrian (Translations from Greek and Roman Authors) (1981) 41 copies
Arriani Nicomediensis Scripta Minora 13 copies
Tactical Handbook and the Expedition Against the Alans/Texnh Taktika: A Manual for Ancient Warfare (1993) 8 copies, 1 review
Arrianus: Vol. 2: Scripta minora et fragmenta (Bibliotheca scriptorum Graecorum et Romanorum Teubneriana) (2002) 6 copies
Alexander 3 copies
[Epicteti enchiridion. Norsk]. En håndbok i livskunst / Epiktet ; oversatt av Viggo Johansen. (2020) 2 copies
Anabasis of Alexander 2 copies
The Life of Alexander the Great. Translated by Aubrey de Sélincourt. Penguin Books. 1958. (1958) 2 copies
History of Alexander and Indica I 2 copies
Acies Contra Alanos (Greek) 1 copy
Histoire d'Alexandre.. 1 copy
Le manuel d'Épitecte 1 copy
Les entretiens d'Épitecte 1 copy
Alexanders des Großen Siegeszug durch Asien. Eingeleitet u. neu übertr. v. Wilhelm Capelle (1950) 1 copy
Cynegeticus (Greek) 1 copy
L'Inde 1 copy
The Anabasis of Alexander; or, The History of the Wars and Conquests of Alexander the Great (0002) 1 copy
Anabasis, books 1 & II 1 copy
Obras completas 1 copy
Tactica (Greek) 1 copy
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Arrian
- Legal name
- Arrianus, Lucius Flavius
- Other names
- Arrian
Arrian of Nicomedia
Arrianus Xenophon, Lucius Flavius - Birthdate
- c. 86
- Date of death
- c. 146
- Gender
- male
- Occupations
- Consul
Procurator (province of Cappadocia)
Archon (at Athens)
author - Relationships
- Epictetus (teacher)
- Short biography
- Arrian was born in the town of Nicomedia, in the province of Bithynia (present-day Izmit, Turkey), and studied philosophy under Epictetus in Nicopolis. He entered service in the Roman Empire, serving under Gaius Avidius Nigrinus, governor of Achaea, and eventually achieving the office of Consul in 129 or 130. In 131 he was appointed procurator of Cappadocia, and in 135 he commanded the legions that repelled an Alan invasion. He was elected Archon at Athens in 145/6, where he later devoted himself to history, writing the "Anabasis Alexandri" and the "Indica."
- Nationality
- Greece
- Birthplace
- Nicomedia, Bithynia
- Places of residence
- Nicomedia, Bithynia
Nicopolis, Epirus
Cappadocia
Athens, Greece - Place of death
- Athens, Greece
- Map Location
- Greece
Members
Reviews
The only relevant extant source on Alexander is a fantastic read. We don't get to know the person however, and it would seem that even Arrian, who wrote about him with all the then extant sources—like Ptolemy's lost writings for example—were unable to get a grasp on him either. Too bad.
But what we do get, is a breathtaking description of his conquests and campaigns. Arrian is a bit arrogant, he knows what a great writer he is and is not afraid to inform us of this either, as he tells us show more in the beginning of book one. He focuses on the colossal scale of the enterprise—it is colossal even by modern standards—and the military genius of the young commander and his generals. Alexander's goal was to revenge the sacking of Athens by the Persians, as recounted by Herodotus in his book “Histories”.
This was how the whole enterprise was sold to the Greeks, Arrian tells us, and we get to follow the young soon to be king as he and his father makes several important campaigns into modern day northern Greece, Macedonia, and the Balkans. This is where the legend of Alexander the General is born. Thirteen years later, after the goal of revenge had been met—Persia ceased to exist as a country, never mind as a superpower after Alexander ravaged it—he dies in Babylon in modern day Iraq after having conquered the known world. Never having lost a single battle.
Alexander was the Great for a reason.
Were it not for young Alexander, leader of Greece, our world as we know it would not exist. Alexander is likely the singular most significant individual in recorded history. Without him the Hellenistic age would never have happened, entire cities or even countries would not exist, there would never have been a Caesar or a Jesus, and most certainly, you and I would never have been born. (nod to Kenneth Harl)
A one hundred percent enjoyable read with fabulous extras such as maps (there is one map every three to five pages) and pictures of places as they look today, historical artefacts from archaeology, and add to all of that above: numerous essays on various aspects of the known world at that time. show less
But what we do get, is a breathtaking description of his conquests and campaigns. Arrian is a bit arrogant, he knows what a great writer he is and is not afraid to inform us of this either, as he tells us show more in the beginning of book one. He focuses on the colossal scale of the enterprise—it is colossal even by modern standards—and the military genius of the young commander and his generals. Alexander's goal was to revenge the sacking of Athens by the Persians, as recounted by Herodotus in his book “Histories”.
This was how the whole enterprise was sold to the Greeks, Arrian tells us, and we get to follow the young soon to be king as he and his father makes several important campaigns into modern day northern Greece, Macedonia, and the Balkans. This is where the legend of Alexander the General is born. Thirteen years later, after the goal of revenge had been met—Persia ceased to exist as a country, never mind as a superpower after Alexander ravaged it—he dies in Babylon in modern day Iraq after having conquered the known world. Never having lost a single battle.
Alexander was the Great for a reason.
Were it not for young Alexander, leader of Greece, our world as we know it would not exist. Alexander is likely the singular most significant individual in recorded history. Without him the Hellenistic age would never have happened, entire cities or even countries would not exist, there would never have been a Caesar or a Jesus, and most certainly, you and I would never have been born. (nod to Kenneth Harl)
A one hundred percent enjoyable read with fabulous extras such as maps (there is one map every three to five pages) and pictures of places as they look today, historical artefacts from archaeology, and add to all of that above: numerous essays on various aspects of the known world at that time. show less
This is the edition I would recommend if you want to read this book. The translation is superb with a useful introduction and notes, a usable set of maps and all printed on good quality paper. It also has the Indica which is otherwise hard to come by.
These books are 1900 years old and the reason our forebears have taken the trouble to preserve them is because they're fucking brilliant.
The Anabasis is strictly an account of Alexander's campaigns but you really get a sense of the man; his show more continuous questioning: "What happens if I attack these people?" "Will they worship me?" "Will the gods sanction this?" "Will I die?" His unthinking aggression. His quest for glory. He reminds me of Julius Caesar; either that or Arrian's style is like Caesar's. A man obviously driven by his own demons (small man syndrome, much?). As the book progresses disturbing elements appear: his war crimes, for example. Ultimately this book is pro-Alexander and when his troops turned him back I felt they had spoilt the pristine glory.
Indica: don't be put off by the opening; an author writing today would use a map. show less
These books are 1900 years old and the reason our forebears have taken the trouble to preserve them is because they're fucking brilliant.
The Anabasis is strictly an account of Alexander's campaigns but you really get a sense of the man; his show more continuous questioning: "What happens if I attack these people?" "Will they worship me?" "Will the gods sanction this?" "Will I die?" His unthinking aggression. His quest for glory. He reminds me of Julius Caesar; either that or Arrian's style is like Caesar's. A man obviously driven by his own demons (small man syndrome, much?). As the book progresses disturbing elements appear: his war crimes, for example. Ultimately this book is pro-Alexander and when his troops turned him back I felt they had spoilt the pristine glory.
Indica: don't be put off by the opening; an author writing today would use a map. show less
Arrian's Anabasis Alexandrou in Pantheon's beautiful Landmark series with many footnotes, side-notes, maps, battle plans and grayscale images of locales, coins, and archeological finds. There are a series of modern essays as appendices. [The very last appendix reveals that Arrian was the student whose notes are what we have of Epictetus.] Arrian has his own criticisms of Alexander, but still, he was the great revered conqueror and leader of antiquity. To modern eyes it seems like a long show more way to go to find new people to kill and enslave, but it must have been all Alexander thought about since he was a child - defeat Persia and why stop there? If his "Last Plans" are authentic, then he was planning to take Arabia next and to interchange Greek and Asian peoples to make the civilized world homogeneous. Fortunately or unfortunately something like typhoid fever intervened. show less
A good overview of the campaigns - sometimes a bit tiresome in its narrow focus, but then again the author is not a modern historian. Which is actually the case to read this book, to get a sense of sotrytelling and views on history in antiquity - this the author obviously provides.
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