Arrian's "Anabasis of Alexander" in seven books is the best account we have of Alexander's adult life. "Indica, " a description of India and of Nearchus's voyage therefrom, was to be a supplement.

A student of Epictetus, Arrian took notes at his lectures and published them (in eight books of which we have four, "The Discourses") and also the "Encheiridion" or Manual of Epictetus. Both works are available in the Loeb Epictetus edition.

The Loeb Classical Library edition of Arrian is in two volumes.

'He was a man like no other man has ever been' So Arrian sums up the career of Alexander the Great of Macedon (356-323 BC), who in twelve years that changed the world led his army in conquest of a vast empire extending from the Danube to the rivers of the Punjab, from Egypt to Uzbekistan, and died in Babylon at the age of 32 with further ambitions unfulfilled. Arrian (c. 86-161 AD), a Greek man of letters who had experience of military command and of the highest political office in both Rome and Athens, set out to write the definitive account of Alexander's life and campaigns, published as the Anabasis and its later companion piece the Indica . His work is now our prime and most detailed extant source for the history of Alexander, and it is a dramatic story, fast-moving like its main subject, and told with great narrative skill. Arrian admired Alexander and was fascinated by him, but was also alive to his faults: he presents a compelling account of an exceptional leader, brilliant, ruthless, passionate, and complex. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

‘His passion was for glory only, and in that he was insatiable’

Although written over four hundred years after Alexander’s death, Arrian’s Campaigns of Alexander is the most reliable account of the man and his achievements we have. Arrian’s own experience as a military commander gave him unique insights into the life of the world’s greatest conqueror. He tells of Alexander’s violent suppression of the Theban rebellion, his total defeat of Persia, and his campaigns through Egypt, India and Babylon – establishing new cities and destroying others in his path. While Alexander emerges from this record as an unparalleled and charismatic leader, Arrian succeeds brilliantly in creating an objective and fully rounded portrait of a man of boundless ambition, who was exposed to the temptations of power and worshipped as a god in his own lifetime.

Aubrey de Sélincourt’s vivid translation is accompanied by J. R. Hamilton’s introduction, which discusses Arrian’s life and times, his synthesis of other classical sources and the composition of Alexander’s army. The edition also includes maps, a list for further reading and a detailed index.

Arrian was a Roman historian, public figure, military commander and well-acclaimed philosopher of the 2nd Century. As a youth, he studied under Epictetus, and later strove in his literary works to emulate the great soldier-historian, Xenophon. Considered by many to be the most important work on Alexander the Great, Arrian's "The Anabasis of Alexander" is an accurate and thorough account of the Macedonian conqueror's military exploits. Writing in the 2nd Century, nearly 400 years after the death of Alexander, Arrian had access to many important works which are now lost. He took information from the contemporary works of Callisthenes, Onesicritus, Nearchus, Aristobulus, and most significantly from the biography of Alexander by Ptolemy, one of Alexander's generals and possibly his half-brother. The text focuses mainly on Alexander's military history, and includes very little on his wider political views or personal life.

For younger readers, this is the story of Alexander the Great as told by his biographer Arrian. Includes commentaries which continue the narrative and discuss points in the text which need clarification.

Arrian's "Anabasis of Alexander" in seven books is the best account we have of Alexander's adult life. "Indica, " a description of India and of Nearchus's voyage therefrom, was to be a supplement.

A student of Epictetus, Arrian took notes at his lectures and published them (in eight books of which we have four, "The Discourses") and also the "Encheiridion" or Manual of Epictetus. Both works are available in the Loeb Epictetus edition.

The Loeb Classical Library edition of Arrian is in two volumes.