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Lucius Flavius Arrianus -or Arrian, as he is usually called in English- was a man of two cultures: born in c.87 in Greek Bithynia and educated by the philosopher Epictetus, he became an important official in the Roman empire and a personal friend of the emperor Hadrian, who made him consul in 129 or 130. He was still serving the government when he died in 145. In spite of his dazzling career, he found time to write many books. We still possess (a.o.) his description of the Black Sea, the Anabasis (the history of Alexander's march into Asia), the Indikê (on the marvels of India and the voyage of Alexander's admiral Nearchus), and an excerpt from his Events after Alexander. Although his work lacks charm, Arrian is certainly one of the better historians of Antiquity. More information about him can be found here.

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Arrian of Nicomedia

Arrian (c.87 - after 145): Greek historian and senator of the Roman empire, author of several historical studies. His most best-known work is the Anabasis, which deals with Alexander the Great.

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By now, his friend Hadrian had become emperor (117), and Arrian admits that he benefited from his friend's patronage. He may have become praetor (in the early 120's) and was very probably proconsul (governor) of Andalusia (c.125). Perhaps he was in Africa in 128, when Hadrian visited this province. It can not be proven, but one hunting scene in Arrian's Cynegeticus betrays autopsy.


Until now, our reconstruction of Arrian's career was more or less speculative. However, we are absolutely certain that he was consul in 129 or 130, together with a man named Severus. Because the emperor was in Greece and Egypt, Arrian and Severus had several really important duties in Rome.

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The career of Alexander himself presents a particular source problem. The most important surviving account of his expedition is that of Arrian, a Greek-speaking Roman Senator from Bithynia in Asia Minor, who was active in the second century AD.