ARRIA, the wife of Caecina Paetus, who, having been engaged in the conspiracy of Scribonianus against the Emperor Claudius, 42 A.D., was condemned to death. Arria, resolving not to survive her husband, stabbed herself with a dagger, which she then handed to him with the words, “Paetus, it does not pain me.” Her daughter, also called Arria, was the wife of Thrasea; and when he was condemned to death by Nero, she would have imitated her mother’s example, but was dissuaded by her husband, who entreated her to live for the sake of their children. She was sent into banishment.
9th ed. Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 2, p. 630 [102 words — estimated reading time: 1 minute]
ARRIAN (’Apptavôç), a distinguished Greek historian and philosopher, who lived in the time of the Emperors Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius. He was a native of Nicomedia, born about the end of the 1st century of our era, and was one of the most distinguished disciples of the famous Epictetus. In 124 A.D. he lived at Athens, where he made^the acquaintance of the Emperor Hadrian, who was so much struck with his practical wisdom as to raise him to several high offices; and under Antoninus he obtained even the consulship. The only other event of his life of which we know anything is, that he was appointed governor of Cappadocia, and in that capacity distinguished himself by the victory he gained over the Alani. Arrian proudly disdained to give any information regarding himself; and his life, written by DionCassius, is lost. History and philosophy are greatly indebted to Arrian; for, being a disciple of Epictetus, who himself did not write any work, Arrian determined to be to him what Xenophon had been to Socrates, and published his philosophical lectures in eight books, of which only the first half is extant; but the portion which has come down to us gives us a most exalted view of the ethical philosophy of Epictetus and the Stoics generally. The work bears the title ∆ιατpι∕2αι , ΕτrLκτητoυ, and is contained in Schweig-häuser’s Philosophiae Epicteteoe Monumenta, vol. iii. A second work, by which Arrian testified his attachment to his great master, bears the title ’ Eγχ∈ψiδιoF Έττικτγτου, a short manual of moral philosophy, compiled from the lectures of Epictetus, which for many centuries was regarded both by Pagans and Christians as the best book on the subject. It has been published in a great many editions; the best ...is in the collection of Schweighäuser mentioned above. Of Arrian’s original works the one of greatest importance is his account of the expedition of Alexander the Great in seven books. It contains the most complete and authentic account of that conqueror’s career, being based upon the lost works of Aristobulus and Ptolemy, the son of Lagus, both of whom accompanied the king during the expedition. The best modern editions are those of EUendt, 1832, 2 vols. 8vo; Krüger, Berlin, 1835 and 184.8, 2 vols. 8vo, and 1851,1 vol. 8vo; Sintenis, Lips. 1849; and Dübner and Müller, 1846. Connected with his history of Alexander is a treatise on India, in the Ionic dialect, which he wrote separately, in order not to break the continuity of the narrative. He also wrote a work on the chase, a periplus or voyage round the coasts of the Black Sea, and a manual of tactics; but of many other works ascribed to him by the ancients there are extant only a few fragments. Certain descriptions of the coasts of the Sea of Azov and the Red Sea, which are ascribed to him, are probably the productions of a later period. Arrian’s style is simple, lucid, and manly. His imitation of Xenophon is visible, not only in his style and diction, but even in the subjects on which he wrote. His language, though pure Attic, presents some peculiarities which are not found in the works of his great model.
9th ed. Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 2, p. 630 [553 words — estimated reading time: 4 minutes]
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