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Alexander the Great: The Anabasis and the Indica
'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.
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.
432 pages, Paperback
Published February 14, 2013
25 people are currently reading
824 people want to read
About the author
Arrian
291 books90 followersArrian of Nicomedia (Latin: Lucius Flavius Arrianus Xenophon; Greek: Ἀρριανός c. AD c. 86 – c. 160) was a Greek historian, public servant, military commander and philosopher of the 2nd-century Roman period. As with other authors of the Second Sophistic, Arrian wrote primarily in Attic (Indica is in Herodotus' Ionic dialect, his philosophical works in Koine Greek).
The Anabasis of Alexander is perhaps his best-known work, and is generally considered one of the best sources on the campaigns of Alexander the Great. (It is not to be confused with Anabasis, the best-known work of the Athenian military leader and author Xenophon from the 5th-4th century BC.) Arrian is also considered as one of the founders of a primarily military-based focus on history. His other works include Discourses of Epictetus and Indica.
Other language versions:
Arriano
The Anabasis of Alexander is perhaps his best-known work, and is generally considered one of the best sources on the campaigns of Alexander the Great. (It is not to be confused with Anabasis, the best-known work of the Athenian military leader and author Xenophon from the 5th-4th century BC.) Arrian is also considered as one of the founders of a primarily military-based focus on history. His other works include Discourses of Epictetus and Indica.
Other language versions:
Arriano
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 27, 2022
Arrian’s Anabasis is a fantastic read, exactly the kind of book that might get generally interested readers hooked on history. The central character, Alexander The Great, is indeed something of a Titan.
We might think him a power-crazed warmonger, but Arrian pulls no punches when he says ‘Anyone who vilifies Alexander … should first make some comparisons and reflect on them. Who is he, and what has he achieved… ? By comparison the critic is an insignificant creature, toiling away at some insignificant work, and not even master of that.’ Woah… that’s told us!
Arrian’s is primarily a military tale, of travel, adventure and conquest. This does, to some degree, give it a certain vintage feel, but in many other ways Arrian feels remarkably modern. Part of this must be down to a good translation, that renders Arrian in easy to read and immediate English. But surely this must also be down to Arrian’s writing style itself, which is excellent (‘fast moving like it’s subject’ as the back cover notes aptly observe).
Arrian is very clear about the sources he is mainly dependant upon, and his view on the dubious nature of many tales – that he nonetheless relates – from less reliable sources. ‘I have no evidence… and I see no point in speculation’ is a typical phrase, giving a characteristic flavour of Arrian’s basically rational approach.
Whilst he clearly admire’s Alexander, he can be, and indeed is, critical. His position is perfectly summed up in his own closing words: ‘although I too have censured some of Alexanders actions in my history, I make no apology for my admiration of the man himself.’
As an avid reader of Napoleonic history I could see many parallels between Bonaparte and Alexander: the quick thinking, quick moving, intuitive approach, the charisma and ability to lead an army as much by force of personality as by skill. Alexander even has his own 1812 moment, as his army is thinned out during the crossing of the deserts of southern Iraq.
Without giving away too much for interested readers who don’t know the story (and great history like this is, to my mind, at least as – and arguably way more – exciting than fiction), I will note that there are some fascinating moments when Alexander encounters dissent and views different from his own.
Many great military leaders fail to circumscribe their own ambition, and bring about their own downfall and the ruination of huge swathes of humanity with them, and such views were put to Alexander at several points. What did he make of such arguments, and how did he respond? Read this book if you’re interested to find out.
This is a classic ‘great man’ story, and suitably exciting. Modern historians can sometimes be dry as dust and neither very compelling or interesting, even whilst they may quite admirably be seeking after a truer picture of history. It’s difficult for a general reader like me to evaluate the veracity of Arrian’s account, but I can certainly tell you that it’s a corking good read.
We might think him a power-crazed warmonger, but Arrian pulls no punches when he says ‘Anyone who vilifies Alexander … should first make some comparisons and reflect on them. Who is he, and what has he achieved… ? By comparison the critic is an insignificant creature, toiling away at some insignificant work, and not even master of that.’ Woah… that’s told us!
Arrian’s is primarily a military tale, of travel, adventure and conquest. This does, to some degree, give it a certain vintage feel, but in many other ways Arrian feels remarkably modern. Part of this must be down to a good translation, that renders Arrian in easy to read and immediate English. But surely this must also be down to Arrian’s writing style itself, which is excellent (‘fast moving like it’s subject’ as the back cover notes aptly observe).
Arrian is very clear about the sources he is mainly dependant upon, and his view on the dubious nature of many tales – that he nonetheless relates – from less reliable sources. ‘I have no evidence… and I see no point in speculation’ is a typical phrase, giving a characteristic flavour of Arrian’s basically rational approach.
Whilst he clearly admire’s Alexander, he can be, and indeed is, critical. His position is perfectly summed up in his own closing words: ‘although I too have censured some of Alexanders actions in my history, I make no apology for my admiration of the man himself.’
As an avid reader of Napoleonic history I could see many parallels between Bonaparte and Alexander: the quick thinking, quick moving, intuitive approach, the charisma and ability to lead an army as much by force of personality as by skill. Alexander even has his own 1812 moment, as his army is thinned out during the crossing of the deserts of southern Iraq.
Without giving away too much for interested readers who don’t know the story (and great history like this is, to my mind, at least as – and arguably way more – exciting than fiction), I will note that there are some fascinating moments when Alexander encounters dissent and views different from his own.
Many great military leaders fail to circumscribe their own ambition, and bring about their own downfall and the ruination of huge swathes of humanity with them, and such views were put to Alexander at several points. What did he make of such arguments, and how did he respond? Read this book if you’re interested to find out.
This is a classic ‘great man’ story, and suitably exciting. Modern historians can sometimes be dry as dust and neither very compelling or interesting, even whilst they may quite admirably be seeking after a truer picture of history. It’s difficult for a general reader like me to evaluate the veracity of Arrian’s account, but I can certainly tell you that it’s a corking good read.
August 15, 2024
Read this so I could have historical knowledge for my book. This shit so gay I don’t think historians have friends, cause friends DO NOT act like Alexander and Hephaestion.
August 8, 2022
This is a terrific translation of one of the earliest surviving histories of Alexander the Great. Arrian, writing in the 2nd Century AD and evoking the similarly megalomaniac efforts of his contemporary, the Roman emperor Trajan, tells the story of Alexander's incredible conquests over four centuries earlier.
There are two works to review here: Arrian's narrative and Hammond's translation. Both, within the confines of their commissions, are excellent. Arrian doesn't have the benefit of modern scholarship, while Hammond can't deviate from Arrian's narrative regardless of newer discoveries.
Arrian is perhaps second only to Herodotus among ancient historians, because he details his sources and comments on their plausibility. He tries to separate history from myth in a very modern way, trying to tell the true history while explaining why he deviates from the accounts of other authors, often commenting (to put it in modern terms), "Well, if you want to believe that story, you can." Even modern historians sometimes find it hard to let the reader make up his own mind, so Arrian is ahead of his time here.
On the other side, Hammond has produced an excellent translation, free of the turgid style that often characterises translations of ancient texts. The Anabasis is a very readable account of Alexander and can be read purely for pleasure and not just as a historian's duty.
There are two works to review here: Arrian's narrative and Hammond's translation. Both, within the confines of their commissions, are excellent. Arrian doesn't have the benefit of modern scholarship, while Hammond can't deviate from Arrian's narrative regardless of newer discoveries.
Arrian is perhaps second only to Herodotus among ancient historians, because he details his sources and comments on their plausibility. He tries to separate history from myth in a very modern way, trying to tell the true history while explaining why he deviates from the accounts of other authors, often commenting (to put it in modern terms), "Well, if you want to believe that story, you can." Even modern historians sometimes find it hard to let the reader make up his own mind, so Arrian is ahead of his time here.
On the other side, Hammond has produced an excellent translation, free of the turgid style that often characterises translations of ancient texts. The Anabasis is a very readable account of Alexander and can be read purely for pleasure and not just as a historian's duty.
February 8, 2019
"And when Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept...for there were no more worlds to conquer. Benefits of a classical education" - Hans Gruber
February 6, 2022
El Anabasis de Arriano es el trabajo por el que sabemos la mayoría de lo que sabemos sobre Alexandro Magno. Esta edición con sus apéndices y notas es una excelente lectura.
Arriano además de un gran historiador fue un gran político y militar romano, por el también conocemos a Epicteto el filosofo estoico por lo que su escritura esta llena de observaciones políticas, militares y filosóficas de un destacado practicante.
Muy recomendado, además esta edición incluye la Indica que es un recuento de los viajes de Nearco por la India en la campaña de Alexandro.
Arriano además de un gran historiador fue un gran político y militar romano, por el también conocemos a Epicteto el filosofo estoico por lo que su escritura esta llena de observaciones políticas, militares y filosóficas de un destacado practicante.
Muy recomendado, además esta edición incluye la Indica que es un recuento de los viajes de Nearco por la India en la campaña de Alexandro.
August 8, 2025
5/5
"And in future address any communications to me as the king of Asia, and do not write as an equal, but tell me as the master of all your possessions what it is that you need. Failing this, I shall plan to treat you as a criminal. But if you wish to dispute the kingship, stand your ground and fight for it: do not run away, as I shall come after you wherever you are."
Arrian states that Alexander was "...like no other man has ever been." And I would have to say I have to absolutely agree. Alexander was a man of many complexities both of great good and terrible wrath. He was a king in every definition of the word and I don't think many, if any, rulers of antiquity to even our modern era reflect can even hold a torch to Alexanders blinding fire as bright as the sun's rays. His accomplishments at such a young age are beyond impressive and his courage, determination, boundless endurance, charisma, and intelligence are like nothing I have ever studied so far. A military genius and a master strategist he is truely a fascinating study and, despite violent ambitions, an admirable character. One of Alexanders greatest desires was to emulate and attain the greatness and glory of his childhood hero Achilles and I don't think any person in existence has come as close to this concept as Alexander. With his undefeated record in battle, his glorious persona that could inspire awe and fear, his rage that lead to his detriment on multiple occasions and his capability of feeling remorse for those mistakes and his boundless sorrow at the loss of Hephaestion shortly before his own tragic death is eerily a manifestation of these exact desires. Whether it's accurate or exaggerated story telling from Arrians sources I cannot say but it's a absolutely fascinating story none the less. Alexander was the closest thing a real life mortal could get to the tragic greek tales of a hero almost turned into a g-d.
What would Achilles be without Homer to seal him into glory forever? It's the same question we should as about Alexander without Arrian. With his exceptional prose, attention to detail, critical eye of exaggerated sources, and his willingness to admit his own biases Arrian, in my opinion, fully steps into the shoes of Homer to write the greatest military history of Alexander we have to date. Along with the excellent translation by Martin Hammond and explanatory notes by John Atkinson we are able, to the best of our ability, shift through the events of Alexanders campaigns to separate the man from the myth. As someone new to studying Alexander but not necessarily new to reading historians of antiquity I am surprised and delighted to find that Arrian does not fall into the practice of preposterous exaggerations (such as found in army numbers as an example), and is willing to be critical of Alexanders less flattering moments and, even in some cases, will condemn him outright such as when he unjustly torched Persepolis. He also had access to fascinating sources that are now lost to us in the written statements of one of Alexanders generals Ptolemy and his military engineer Aristobulus both with separate accounts of their travels with Alexander. Arrian is able to masterfully pick and shift between sources that he finds closest to the truth and if he simply can't decide he admits this willingly and will sometimes give us the context of both stories from an unbiased lense. A historian, writer, philosopher, and military commander Arrian is able to tackle the history from multiple angles and it leads to not just an informative source but a reading for entertainment purposes as well. His descriptions of Alexanders multiple clashes with Darius, the (obviously less accurate) writings of Alexanders speeches to his men or his enemies, the narration of travel, and context of extra mythological sources he didn't necessarily believe but knew were important to the general story were perfectly placed to keep the story engaging as much as any epic doing Alexander a great service to his legacy.
I have never enjoyed reading a military history more than I did with this one and it captivated me from beginning to end. One of the reasons this book took me so long to get through is just the amount of extra research I did because of the extra references to places, people, stories, and things that I had to know more about. It was an addiction almost and I grew to understand and appreciate the text more deeply the further into the campaign we went. I was fully invested and with the help of the previously mentioned translator Martin Hammond and the writer of the notes John Atkinson I learned a lot and it was very easy for me to get into this new topic. A very accessible edition in my opinion with a wealth of useful citations and sources. I will definitely be referring to this book again and again with further investigation into Alexanders life and stories surrounding him.
"And in future address any communications to me as the king of Asia, and do not write as an equal, but tell me as the master of all your possessions what it is that you need. Failing this, I shall plan to treat you as a criminal. But if you wish to dispute the kingship, stand your ground and fight for it: do not run away, as I shall come after you wherever you are."
Arrian states that Alexander was "...like no other man has ever been." And I would have to say I have to absolutely agree. Alexander was a man of many complexities both of great good and terrible wrath. He was a king in every definition of the word and I don't think many, if any, rulers of antiquity to even our modern era reflect can even hold a torch to Alexanders blinding fire as bright as the sun's rays. His accomplishments at such a young age are beyond impressive and his courage, determination, boundless endurance, charisma, and intelligence are like nothing I have ever studied so far. A military genius and a master strategist he is truely a fascinating study and, despite violent ambitions, an admirable character. One of Alexanders greatest desires was to emulate and attain the greatness and glory of his childhood hero Achilles and I don't think any person in existence has come as close to this concept as Alexander. With his undefeated record in battle, his glorious persona that could inspire awe and fear, his rage that lead to his detriment on multiple occasions and his capability of feeling remorse for those mistakes and his boundless sorrow at the loss of Hephaestion shortly before his own tragic death is eerily a manifestation of these exact desires. Whether it's accurate or exaggerated story telling from Arrians sources I cannot say but it's a absolutely fascinating story none the less. Alexander was the closest thing a real life mortal could get to the tragic greek tales of a hero almost turned into a g-d.
What would Achilles be without Homer to seal him into glory forever? It's the same question we should as about Alexander without Arrian. With his exceptional prose, attention to detail, critical eye of exaggerated sources, and his willingness to admit his own biases Arrian, in my opinion, fully steps into the shoes of Homer to write the greatest military history of Alexander we have to date. Along with the excellent translation by Martin Hammond and explanatory notes by John Atkinson we are able, to the best of our ability, shift through the events of Alexanders campaigns to separate the man from the myth. As someone new to studying Alexander but not necessarily new to reading historians of antiquity I am surprised and delighted to find that Arrian does not fall into the practice of preposterous exaggerations (such as found in army numbers as an example), and is willing to be critical of Alexanders less flattering moments and, even in some cases, will condemn him outright such as when he unjustly torched Persepolis. He also had access to fascinating sources that are now lost to us in the written statements of one of Alexanders generals Ptolemy and his military engineer Aristobulus both with separate accounts of their travels with Alexander. Arrian is able to masterfully pick and shift between sources that he finds closest to the truth and if he simply can't decide he admits this willingly and will sometimes give us the context of both stories from an unbiased lense. A historian, writer, philosopher, and military commander Arrian is able to tackle the history from multiple angles and it leads to not just an informative source but a reading for entertainment purposes as well. His descriptions of Alexanders multiple clashes with Darius, the (obviously less accurate) writings of Alexanders speeches to his men or his enemies, the narration of travel, and context of extra mythological sources he didn't necessarily believe but knew were important to the general story were perfectly placed to keep the story engaging as much as any epic doing Alexander a great service to his legacy.
I have never enjoyed reading a military history more than I did with this one and it captivated me from beginning to end. One of the reasons this book took me so long to get through is just the amount of extra research I did because of the extra references to places, people, stories, and things that I had to know more about. It was an addiction almost and I grew to understand and appreciate the text more deeply the further into the campaign we went. I was fully invested and with the help of the previously mentioned translator Martin Hammond and the writer of the notes John Atkinson I learned a lot and it was very easy for me to get into this new topic. A very accessible edition in my opinion with a wealth of useful citations and sources. I will definitely be referring to this book again and again with further investigation into Alexanders life and stories surrounding him.
Read
June 30, 2022 I will be writing a book report on Arrian Alexander the Great This book is quite exquisite, especially for those people who enjoy reading or see of Ancient Greece or hearing about the heroes of those periods honestly it explains Alexander's the great story so well that it is beautiful if I should say explains how he won Wars how he leads people to see how his life was honestly an exciting story of his life introduction was quite impressive but the bibliography and how you feel like you're in Ancient times when you read this book I would recommend this book to those people who enjoy Ancient Greece or like to study about it I'm a pretty good example of that stuff and if you love the city of Alexandria you love to learn about it this is a great book to see how would all happen are who are historians just because it is a great book it is beautiful and fat the literature the writing style is almost as if you were reading a book of Shakespeare beautiful. This book has changed my point of view end looking forward and not looking back he was able to lead so many people and was able to win conquer do everything even with tragedy happening right before him he was able to continue moving on and doing an amazing job. Like I said before this takes place in ancient Greece but to be exact it is 356 through 323 BC; He was 12 years in charge and lead his army in the conquest of the vast Empire he led and took care row or ancient Greece art someone says for 12 years all of he was just 22 years old Exquisite man he did grow up with a very wealthy and well-known family but he was able to do so much and just 12 years it was a shame when he was passed away so he was a great hero It was a shame how he died at the age of 32 I mean who knows what would have happened afterward if any 12 years he was able to not only conquered lands win battles but take care of ancient Greece and have a hole in tire City and statue named after him incredible probably had more ambitious we had more dreams for more lands to conquer it explains how he was a brilliant leader ruthless passion is complex and of course, everyone has their faults but he seems to be forgivable just because of how amazing
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2023
Alexander the Great was the King of Macedonia, who set out with his army and navy to conquer much of the known world at the time… and succeeded. How many of us can say that?
Honestly, I found this book a bit of a struggle to get through at times—a bit like Alexander’s campaigns themselves. The writing is very matter of fact, like a giant list of accomplishments, without much analysis. To be fair, analysis would easily stretch this book into a series of volumes. Even so, after reading a chapter, my eyes sometimes glazed over as the names, places, and events started to swirl together. Alex certainly kept himself busy and knew how to move on to the next project!
The author, Arrian, was a Greek, and a loyal subject of the Roman Empire, writing this history some 400 years after the events transpired. He makes every attempt to be a good historian, quoting his sources, noting where their accounts differ, identifying his own opinion as such, and letting the reader judge for themself what to believe. In this way, Arrian was quite ahead of his time, writing as a modern historian would.
I can say that Alexander, much like Genghis Khan and his progeny, was at times a ruthless killer, but could also be kind, generous, understanding, and respectful toward his own men, as well as to the peoples who lands he was conquering. Perhaps this duality is what makes a conqueror “great.” But, I leave you to judge for yourself…
P.S. Alexander gives the speech to end all speeches to his men on pp. 202-204. Amazing!!
Honestly, I found this book a bit of a struggle to get through at times—a bit like Alexander’s campaigns themselves. The writing is very matter of fact, like a giant list of accomplishments, without much analysis. To be fair, analysis would easily stretch this book into a series of volumes. Even so, after reading a chapter, my eyes sometimes glazed over as the names, places, and events started to swirl together. Alex certainly kept himself busy and knew how to move on to the next project!
The author, Arrian, was a Greek, and a loyal subject of the Roman Empire, writing this history some 400 years after the events transpired. He makes every attempt to be a good historian, quoting his sources, noting where their accounts differ, identifying his own opinion as such, and letting the reader judge for themself what to believe. In this way, Arrian was quite ahead of his time, writing as a modern historian would.
I can say that Alexander, much like Genghis Khan and his progeny, was at times a ruthless killer, but could also be kind, generous, understanding, and respectful toward his own men, as well as to the peoples who lands he was conquering. Perhaps this duality is what makes a conqueror “great.” But, I leave you to judge for yourself…
P.S. Alexander gives the speech to end all speeches to his men on pp. 202-204. Amazing!!
October 4, 2023
9.9/10.
A truly incredible account of the courage, intellect, and adventures of one of the greatest men to have ever lived. Alexander was no lifeless leader, but always led his men in the front — charging first on his horse with a lance, leading his phalanx in line, being the first to scale castle walls. He did this while clothed in beautiful purple, showing who he was in comparison to all of the ordinary soldiers, and thus revealing himself as the prime target for the enemy.
Yet this did not phase him. When his enemies saw him clad in his majestic colors, with his ornate helmet on his head, they were put in a state of utter terror and panic. For this was the man who had conquered all other peoples, king of Europe and Asia, defeater of the largest armies the world has ever seen.
Alexander is an inspiration to all of us.
A truly incredible account of the courage, intellect, and adventures of one of the greatest men to have ever lived. Alexander was no lifeless leader, but always led his men in the front — charging first on his horse with a lance, leading his phalanx in line, being the first to scale castle walls. He did this while clothed in beautiful purple, showing who he was in comparison to all of the ordinary soldiers, and thus revealing himself as the prime target for the enemy.
Yet this did not phase him. When his enemies saw him clad in his majestic colors, with his ornate helmet on his head, they were put in a state of utter terror and panic. For this was the man who had conquered all other peoples, king of Europe and Asia, defeater of the largest armies the world has ever seen.
Alexander is an inspiration to all of us.
July 9, 2025
Is Arrian's account one of the more reliable sources in terms of understanding Alexander the Great? Yes. Is it the most interesting? Not necessarily. I think the translation is great, but unless you are so enamored with Alexander, this may not be the book for you. It is long, drawn out, and most importantly, over champions Alexander. Personally, I favor the Vulgate, so please beware that I am biased too. With that being said, there is often more information than necessary and paints Alexander in a very particular light that I struggle to connect with.
June 15, 2023
Crazy to think that this book was written by someone thousands of years ago, and now translated into modern day english.
Despite its old age i really enjoyed it, a good and solid acount of alexander the great and it gave me a better view of who the man really was.
This is definetly a good recomendation if you are looking for a book on alexander.
Despite its old age i really enjoyed it, a good and solid acount of alexander the great and it gave me a better view of who the man really was.
This is definetly a good recomendation if you are looking for a book on alexander.
Read
September 16, 2025generally entertaining, though the portion on India (and the indica itself) is a helpful reminder on how seriously I should plan to take the underlying facts -- aside from the literary/cultural value of those facts being conceivable.
April 10, 2023
A fine, perceptive, confident military history of Alexander the Great, with some exciting episodes.
February 13, 2024
My passion for history drove me to start this but war will never fail to leave me unhinged.. at least the MC of this history event was not a big fan of rapping and killing civilians.
December 10, 2024
Great Book. Inspiring and detailed.
November 14, 2018
4 stars because of the up-dated language which made the book easier to read but hardly offered the authenticity of a Loeb Classic interlinear translation.
I have had a curiosity about Alexander for some time and saw this at the Harvard Coop. Arrian's work came in the 2d century CE while Alexander III reigned from 335-323 BC; what surviving details existed plus earlier biographies provided the basis for what seems to have been a judicious if positive estimation of Alexander's character and exploits. The scholia suggests that Plutarch might be the next work to be consulted.
As Arrian has it, Alexander was a brave, noble, fair leader until late in his career when he developed a serious temper, a superficiality of judgment, and a shedding of Macedonian ways for those of "te barbarians." If one can imagine foot- and horse-soldiers traveling from Greece through the Middle East into India, successfully meeting numerous antipathetic tribes, vanquishing them in battle or by growing reputation, and winning out in the end, the story is truly epically heroic, and not only for Alexander.
To return after all that, having a disgruntled and somewhat displaced army--unhappy with the inclusion of various barbarians among the forces and his adoption of barbarian ways, arriving in Babylon against the advice of augurers and soothsayers, only to die of a growing fever seems more than unfortunate. But, evidently, Alexander's search for glory was unabated . . . and unquenchable.
One is, I suppose, necessarily reminded of Shelley's Ozymandius, but Alexander's successor added to Macedonian glory.
I have had a curiosity about Alexander for some time and saw this at the Harvard Coop. Arrian's work came in the 2d century CE while Alexander III reigned from 335-323 BC; what surviving details existed plus earlier biographies provided the basis for what seems to have been a judicious if positive estimation of Alexander's character and exploits. The scholia suggests that Plutarch might be the next work to be consulted.
As Arrian has it, Alexander was a brave, noble, fair leader until late in his career when he developed a serious temper, a superficiality of judgment, and a shedding of Macedonian ways for those of "te barbarians." If one can imagine foot- and horse-soldiers traveling from Greece through the Middle East into India, successfully meeting numerous antipathetic tribes, vanquishing them in battle or by growing reputation, and winning out in the end, the story is truly epically heroic, and not only for Alexander.
To return after all that, having a disgruntled and somewhat displaced army--unhappy with the inclusion of various barbarians among the forces and his adoption of barbarian ways, arriving in Babylon against the advice of augurers and soothsayers, only to die of a growing fever seems more than unfortunate. But, evidently, Alexander's search for glory was unabated . . . and unquenchable.
One is, I suppose, necessarily reminded of Shelley's Ozymandius, but Alexander's successor added to Macedonian glory.
June 11, 2013
The Anabasis is a record of Alexander the Great's expedition to conquer the known world. Arrian wrote this military history nearly five hundred years after the death of Alexander and used as his primary sources the works of Ptolemy (one of Alexander's Macedonian officers who later took control of Egypt) and Aristobulus (who apparently served Alexander as an engineer). Arrian's reason for believing the historical accuracy of these two men over others is that they both wrote after Alexander's death, and neither seemed to him to exaggerate events. In cases where these two men have differing accounts of events, he presents both and then offers up his reasons for believing one account over the other. Arrian's style is mostly a straightforward telling of events, with various digressions along the way. He greatly admired Alexander and this can be seen in his writing, especially as he attempts to explain why Alexander acted as he did at each turn.
Also included in this edition is the Indica, which follows the journey of Nearchus along the coast of India with Alexander's fleet. Arrian shares various observations about India made by Nearchus, as well as Megasthenes (a Greek explorer). While neither of them can be said to have made a very deep or thorough exploration of India it is interesting to see what the Western world at the time believed of the country and its people.
Also included in this edition is the Indica, which follows the journey of Nearchus along the coast of India with Alexander's fleet. Arrian shares various observations about India made by Nearchus, as well as Megasthenes (a Greek explorer). While neither of them can be said to have made a very deep or thorough exploration of India it is interesting to see what the Western world at the time believed of the country and its people.
November 26, 2019
Reviewing these classics is always a foolish enterprise - how are you supposed to objectively assess them? I found this very readable, but paradoxically it also took me a long time to get through - the main narrative is probably only about 250 pages, but it is dense, tightly-packed prose with lengthy paragraphs and almost no dialogue. It can only be read slowly. And, while it is undeniably exciting and swashbuckling for the most part, it must also be said that the catalogue of sieges and conquests begins to get exhausting in the end. No wonder Alexander's troops ultimately came to the same conclusion.
September 20, 2020
I read the Anabasis in some 19th century translation which escapes me at the moment and came across this book while looking for a copy of the Indica. As for Arrian, he writes a fascinating historical narrative based mainly on information obtained from the memoirs of two of Alexander's closest advisers. This book includes an interesting introductory essay and an appendix of period military terminology. However, I didn't even bother with the endnotes as it'd have been too much of an inconvenience with the digital copy I had.
October 1, 2020
The only reason I only gave it 4 stars is because it would very much confuse any person who is not familiar with Greek history and anyone who is not familiar with Alexander the Great, in addition to that, the book throws around lots of important names and people which gets pretty confusing at times. Other than that it has changed my view on Alexander, it has helped me see his story in a non biased, well articulated recount of his campaign.
May 31, 2019
This was so detailed about the life of alexander specifically on his expeditions. Arrian proved to me that Alexander the great is the two horned one who was mentioned in the Quran with three evidences, he was noble, he reached a spring of water in the far west in Egypt, he found naked people in the far east.
October 1, 2020
A great book for people that are interested in Greek history or the history of Alexander the Great, however I would not recommend it to people that haven’t heard of the him ever before as the names can sometimes get confusing.
December 30, 2013
This book is enjoyable with annotations as you get to learn what other authors have to say about the claims in the book as well as the modern names for some of the sites.
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