Arria (Arrianos)

Arrian, Arrianos, from Nikodemii in Bithynia, ca. 95-175 years. BC, Greek historian. Greek, Roman citizen, in his youth listening to speeches Epictetus in Nikopolis in Epirus. In the reign of Hadrian performing senior administrative positions. In 131-137 years. was the governor of Cappadocia. He also oversaw the Black Sea coast, to defend the province from the incursions of the Alans. Ok. 140 g. settled in Athens, where he was archon eponyms and pritanom. Accommodation in Athens - an intensive period of his literary works. - The earliest works of A. represent philosophical works created under the influence of the teachings of Epictetus: Epictetus diatribe (Diatribai Epiktetu; fr.), Conversations (Homiliai) and Manual (Encheiridion), which is a compilation of two previous.

These works, devoid of stylistic adornments give proper presentation of speeches and because teachers are extremely valuable as a source of information about the philosophy of Epictetus, who had left his own works. Period governorship A. Swimming in Cappadocia dates from Pont Evksinski, ie. the Black Sea, a report in the form of a letter to the emperor, which contain a description of the Black Sea coast, and a short essay entitled Alanika (Alanike), dedicated to tactical innovations owe their existence to combat experience Alans. During his stay in Athens was established the most significant product A. The campaign of Alexander the Great (Anabasis Aleksandru) in 7 books.

This work has brought a. the glory of a good historian. At a time when the era and the deeds of Alexander has overshadowed the legend, A. tries to show Alexander and his military actions objectively speaking, to this end to the earliest and most credible sources: the writings of Ptolemy and Aristobulus Lagida, followers of Alexander. The complement to this work is the description of India (Indike). It is an ethnographer-geographical description of India since the campaign of Alexander. A. relies primarily on the report Nearchus on sea journey from the mouth of the Indus to the mouth of the Euphrates, as well as descriptions of India Megasthenes and geography of Eratosthenes. Disappeared essay A. Ta met 'Aleksandron (history postaleksandriyskoy era) in 10 books, describing the events in the next years after the death of Alexander. A. it relied on the presentation of the history Diadochi Jerome Kardianskim. Also, do not preserve history of Parthia (Parthiaka) in 17 books include a history of the Parthians, and paid particular attention to the Parthian wars of Trajan, and the history of Bithynia (Bithyniaka; fr.) In 8 books covering the history of Bithynia to 174 g. BC. e., that is, until the death Nikodema IV, who bequeathed his kingdom to Rome.

For smaller historical treatises A. 2 belonged to the missing work on the history of Sicily and also not preserved biography robber Tillibora. Survived essay about hunting (Kynegetikos),, relying on a similar essay Xenophon and created, perhaps, also during his stay in Athens. A. wrote on the Attic dialect, with the exception of descriptions of India, where, perhaps, the example of the Ionic logograph - took the Ionian dialect. Model for A. was Xenophon, whom he imitated not only in small works, but also in the campaign (name, number of books). Works A. not burdened with rhetoric, written in concise, accessible and clear language, that in ancient times have made him a famous writer.