Arrian

Leonardo Gregoratti (University of Durham)
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Arrian of Nicomedia (c. 86/89 - after c.160 AD; Latin:

Lucius Flavius Arrianus

,

Greek:

Ἀρριανός [Arrianos]), was a historian, politician, military commander and philosopher of the Roman imperial period.

Life and Career

Life and Career

Arrian was born in Nicomedia, the capital of the province of Bithynia in northern Anatolia (present day İzmit), to a family that belonged to the provincial aristocracy and to the class of equites. The year of his birth is uncertain, and depends on estimates about the age at which he was appointed consul. The nomen gentilicium of Flavius perhaps suggests that his family had obtained Roman citizenship early in the history of the Roman province of Bithynia, in the second half of the first century BC; a more likely possibility is that the name derives

2111 words

Citation: Gregoratti, Leonardo. "Arrian". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 15 June 2017 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=13935, accessed 29 March 2024.]

13935 Arrian 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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