Page:Ancient India as described by Megasthenês and Arrian.djvu/196

Introduction* Arrian, who variously distinguished himself bs a philosopher, a statesman, a soldier, and an historian, was bom in Nikomedia, in Bithynia, towards the end of the first century. ' He became a pupil of the philosopher Epiktetbs, whose lectures he published. Having been appointed prefect of Kappadokia under the emperot- Hadrian, he acquired during his administration a practical knowledge of the tactics of war in repelling an attack made up- on his province by the Alani and Massagetas. His talents recommended him to the favour of the succeeding emperor^ Antoninus Pius, by whom he was raised to the consulship (a.d. 146). In his later years he retired to his native town, where he applied his leisure to the composition of works on history, to which he was led by his admiration of Xenophon. He died at an advanced age, in the reign of the emperor Marcus Aurelius. The work by which he is best known is his account of the Asiatic expedition of Alexander the Great, which is remarkable alike for the accuracy of its Narrative, and the Xenophontic ease and cleamess> if not the perfect purity, of its style. His work on India ('IvBiicrf or ra 'hfbiKo) may be regarded as a continuation of his Anabasis, though it is not written, like the Anabasis, in the Attic dialect, but in the Ionic. The reason may have been that he Digitized by Google