Flavius Arrianus
The biographer of Alexander the Great
c. AD 86 – c. AD 160
Lucius Flavius Arrianus was born around 86 AD in Nicomedia, in Bithynia (modern Turkey). A Greek who became a Roman citizen, he held the consulship and served as governor of Cappadocia, where he repelled an invasion by the Alani. He was also a devoted student of the Stoic philosopher Epictetus, whose lectures he recorded.
His Anabasis of Alexander, in seven books, is our best surviving account of Alexander the Great's campaigns. Written in a deliberately Xenophontic style, it draws primarily on the now-lost accounts of Ptolemy and Aristobulus — participants in Alexander's expedition — and is therefore our most reliable narrative source. His Indica describes the voyage of Nearchus from India to the Persian Gulf.
Arrian wrote with the authority of a military man who understood campaigns, logistics, and command. His Alexander is neither the god of the romance tradition nor the tyrant of hostile sources, but a brilliant, driven, and increasingly dangerous leader.
Arrian's plan for deploying Roman legions against an Alan cavalry raid — a unique surviving operational order from a Roman provincial governor.
A treatise on hunting with dogs, updating and correcting Xenophon. Arrian is especially knowledgeable about Celtic hunting breeds.
A navigational guide to the Black Sea coast, combining geography, history, and practical sailing directions.
The most reliable ancient account of Alexander the Great's campaigns. Arrian draws on the memoirs of Ptolemy and Aristobulus — eyewitnesses — and writ...