Arrian: The Biographer Who Preserved Alexander the Great’s Legacy

Arrian, the astir celebrated biographer of Alexander the Great, was a soldier, statesman, philosopher, and author. Credit Alexander Gale / Greek Reporter

Over 2,300 years person passed since the decease of Alexander the Great, but helium remains 1 of the astir celebrated humanities figures of each time. The conqueror’s fame mightiness person dimmed, however, were it not for the biographers who committed his exploits to the written word.

Arrian (Greek: Arrianos) is considered by galore historians to beryllium the astir reliable root connected the beingness of Alexander. This is contempt the information that helium was penning successful the 2nd period AD, astir 4 centuries aft Alexander’s death.

Although Arrian’s sanction has been overshadowed by the taxable of his astir celebrated biography, the beingness of this ancient Greek writer was besides rather extraordinary. Arrian befriended emperors and philosophers, rode to warfare successful Asia Minor, and held offices successful Rome, Athens, and Cappadocia.

Youth and acquisition of Arrian

Arrian was calved betwixt 85 and 90 AD successful Nicomedia, an past Greek city successful the Anatolian portion of Bythynia successful what was past a portion of the Roman Empire. His parents were Greeks but besides held Roman citizenship.

The household had astir apt enjoyed Roman citizenship for respective generations and adopted the Roman surname, “Flavius”. The household indispensable person been important successful the portion since Arrian was granted the priesthood of Demeter and Kore arsenic a young man. These 2 deities were the astir important successful Bythynia.

Sometime during his youth, Arrian traveled to Nicopolis, a metropolis successful Epirus connected the occidental seashore of Greece, to survey doctrine nether the tutelage of the Stoic philosopher Epictetus.

Most of what we present cognize of Epictetus’ doctrine is acknowledgment to Arrian. He wrote the Discourses of Epictetus and Enchiridion of Epictetus based connected the lecture notes helium took during his clip arsenic a pupil successful Nicopolis.

Whilst successful Nicopolis, Arrian met the aboriginal Roman emperor Hadrian, and the brace would spell connected to go lifelong friends. No uncertainty this helped immensely with the former’s subject and governmental career.

Arrian (left) and emperor Hadrian (right). Credit: WikiSysop / CC BY 2.5 / Capitoline Museums / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Political and subject career

Sometime aft his studies, astir apt astir 107 AD, Arrian astir apt served arsenic an serviceman successful the Roman legions. This was prompted by a consciousness of work and a tendency to beforehand his governmental career, which was typically babelike connected immoderate anterior subject work successful the archetypal centuries of the Roman Empire.

He whitethorn person served for a clip arsenic a cavalry serviceman successful Noricum, successful what is modern-day Bavaria. This mentation is based connected his extended cognition of the region. His subject vocation indispensable person been much extensive, however, since helium was aboriginal fixed bid of 2 legions. Therefore, it is imaginable that helium fought successful Dacia nether emperor Trajan. He whitethorn besides person fought against the Parthians betwixt 115 and 117 AD.

When his person Hadrian became emperor successful 117 AD, Arrian was astir apt made a praetor (a judicial officer) successful the 120s, and past precise apt became a proconsul (governor) of Andalusia astir 125 AD.

Although the representation of Arrian’s aboriginal vocation is mostly speculative, historians are definite that helium was appointed consul successful Rome successful 129 oregon 130 AD. He served alongside different consul named Severus. His duties successful Rome would person kept him precise progressive due to the fact that the emperor was successful Egypt and Greece astatine the time.

Governor of Cappadocia

After his consulship, Arrian was appointed politician of Cappadocia. It is owed to this presumption that historians are definite of Arrian’s extended subject acquisition contempt the deficiency of nonstop evidence. Arrian’s extended writings connected subject matters besides hint astatine his in-depth knowledge.

Cappadocia was connected the frontier of the Roman Empire and nether changeless menace from attack. Thus, the governorship of the portion besides came with the added work of commanding 2 legions. A subject novice would not person been appointed to govern this region.

Arrian’s clip arsenic politician was eventful. In 134 AD, the Alans – a nomadic people from the steppes of what is contiguous Kazakhstan – invaded the region. Arrian took 2 legions, the XV Apollinaris and XII Fulminata, and defeated the Alans successful battle. After the battle, helium wrote and published Order of Battle Against the Alans, a subject treatise that gave different Roman commanders proposal connected warring the nomadic tribes.

In 137 AD, Arrian near Cappadocia and settled arsenic an honorary national of Athens wherever helium besides held governmental office. He died sometime astir the twelvemonth 160 AD.

Map of the Roman state of Cappadocia successful the 2nd period AD. Credit: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Arrian and the biography of Alexander the Great

Arrian is mostly remembered for the Anabasis of Alexander, which documented the beingness and campaigns of Alexander the Great.

Since helium was penning hundreds of years aft the decease of Alexander, Arrian drew astir of his accounts of Alexander’s beingness from Aristobulus and Ptolemy. In his mind, these were the champion sources due to the fact that 1 had served alongside Alexander, and the different ruled implicit a Hellenistic successor authorities aft his death. He besides drew connected different sources similar Nearchus, a naval serviceman who served the Macedonian king.

Arrian is highly regarded by modern historians due to the fact that helium named astir of his sources and speculates arsenic to their validity wrong the text. In this way, Arrian possessed a benignant of precursor to the world rigor expected of modern historians.