Excerpts from the works of Arrian that do not survive intact. Flavius Arrian (95-175 AD) was from Nicomedia in Bithynia. Born to a prominent family, he was honored with priestly offices in his city, and later held high administrative and military positions in the Roman state.
As a young man, he attended the teachings of Epictetus, of which he recorded the essential elements. In the middle of the 2nd century, he went to Athens, where he gained citizenship and was elected as an annual magistrate (147-48 AD). There, he completed his development as a writer and emerged as a notable representative of Atticism.
In addition to his work on the philosophy of Epictetus, he wrote military treatises and biographies. However, the most important part of his creation is the 'Anabasis of Alexander', the most significant source for the campaign of Alexander the Great in Asia, along with its supplement, the 'Indica'. Arrian, using sources from earlier historians, combined the elements and compared the information, composing a work characterized by accuracy, sound judgment, and engaging style.
